How to Find the Light
by Irisebi
Summary: RotBTD Hiccup is the new student at Burgess High, having just moved from Berk due to his father's work. He's your average fourteen year old nerd, doodling dragons, crafting inventions, taking his cat for walks around the neighborhood, and helping ghosts cross over to the other side. Can Hiccup hide his unusual gift from his new friends at school while continuing to help spirits?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, this is my first story on . This story is an rotbtd ghost whisperer au, more of a modern au with ghosts, inspired by Phage Childon's ghost whisperer au for hijack week on tumblr, called ****_You're Always, My Heaven_****. Everyone should read it, if your're into hijack, it's really good so here's the link: post/70360807028/youre-always-my-heaven. This story will include almost every named character from each of the four movies, but the story focuses on Hiccup, then Jack, then Merida and Rapunzel. Guy from the ****_The Croods_**** will also be included and maybe Eep, I'm not sure yet. There will be eventual hijack and flynnxrapunzel, just as a forewarning, maybe others, but I've never really written romance, so it probably won't be a major part of the story. I have no beta, so any constructive criticism is more than welcome or ideas/thoughts on the story. So enough of my rambling, I hope you enjoy the first (short) chapter! Oh, and I own nothing but the plot, everything else belongs to their respective creators.  
**

Hiccup kept his head bowed as he entered the large double doors. His sight was a mixture of white tile and auburn hair, his bangs effectively concealing him from the eyes of others. A sea of boots surrounded Hiccup as he maneuvered toward the office, glancing upwards every so often to ascertain that he was moving in the right direction. Soon he was met with a large wooden door. Taking a moment to gather his resolve, the young teen wrapped his right hand around the cool metal, twisted, and pushed his way inside. He was greeted by a middle-aged man, short black hair, and mocha brown eyes, already filled with flecks of annoyance and exasperation. The man's smile was twitching ever so slightly as he attempted to look welcoming. He was scrawny, overly expressionate, and extremely lacking in the hair department; yet so was everyone else here, as far as Hiccup could tell, when compared to everyone back home, or rather, back in Berk. The young teen was pulled from his musings as the man spoke.

"Good morning. How may I help you?" his nasally voice asked, though he must be commended for his overly chipper greeting.

"Oh, um, hi. I'm new and, uh, I'm here to-to get my schedule," the boy did his best to sound amicable, but it didn't amount to much.

The receptionist just stared at him, those brown eyes growing bored.

"Oh, uh, right. I'm Hiccup," the teen tried once more, moving his right hand forward in form of greeting, only to stop midway and return to his backpack strap.

Again he was met with a dull stare. Didn't this man need to blink?

Hiccup sighed and his green eyes found the floor once more, "I'm Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, can I please have my schedule now?"

Somehow, the man heard the low mumblings of the teen, his eyes brightening slightly as he shuffled through the stack of papers already growing at both sides of his desk. He handed the new student a single sheet of paper, smiled, and welcomed him to Burgess High School. Hiccup grasped the paper, muttered a thank you, and left the small office. By this time the hall was filled with enough teens to rival the small population of Berk. Hiccup gulped nervously, clenching and unclenching his left hand as he stared at the sheer mass of people before him. He had never had a good experience with anyone his age and to say Hiccup was dreading this new opportunity would be a gross understatement. Hiccup shook his head, auburn bangs resting just above his eyes. No one here knew him yet. No one here knew he was a freak, a screw up, a disgrace. Now all he had to do was keep them in ignorance. Maybe no one would notice him at all. That, at least, would be preferable to the Berkian's treatment. His mind traitorously brought to mind his father's outrageously optimistic ideas of Hiccup actually making friends, hanging out, and generally being accepted by his new peers. The young teen rolled his eyes, like any of that would ever happen.

Hiccup looked over the sheet of paper, searching for his first class. English II – room 317. Well that was descriptive. The young teen sighed as he pulled out the carefully folded map from his pocket. It only took him a few minutes to locate and enter his new classroom. Laminated pictures of famous authors and book covers hid three of the four walls, while a large white-board covered the fourth. The room was already half full, everyone a year or two older than the young auburn. All of the teens on Berk were at least one or two years his elder, so Hiccup had always learned at a grade level above his own. Combine that with his personal research and being in the general vicinity of Fishlegs, and Hiccup was more than prepared for his sophomore year in Burgess. At least, he hoped so.

There were no windows in the large room, so Hiccup found a seat next to the wall, towards the back of the class. He set his backpack beside him, unzipped it, and pulled out a dull yellow folder and notebook. He opened to the first page, grabbed a pencil, and began doodling. Dragons soon filled the margins of the loose-leaf, followed by mountainous ranges of graphite. The teen was pulled out of his imagination as an all too familiar chill ran down his spine. Green eyes opened wide in dread as he slowly lifted his head from the paper. His attention was caught by a group of three settling down one row behind him, more towards the middle of the classroom. The first teen had curls of flame settling about her shoulders, sky blue eyes, and pale skin, with a dark emerald t-shirt, blue jeans, and terrible posture. The second seemed older than his other classmates, or maybe it was just his stark, white hair. His skin was even paler than the girl's, with icy blue eyes, and he was perched on the chair rather than sitting upon it. However it was the third presence that really caught Hiccup's eye and caused a shudder to wrack his body. On the boy's left sat a woman, in either her late 30s or early 40s. She sported short brown hair, pale skin, and warm, caramel eyes. Those eyes glanced up as she lifted her head, sensing the young teen's stare. Both pairs of eyes widened as green met brown, the woman in shock at being seen and the boy in slight disbelief. Her stare never wavered as a group four teens walked through her incorporeal body, laughing raucously and obliviously.

Hiccup allowed his head to fall, slamming his forehead onto the wooden desk with an audible smack. The young teen groaned in annoyance. He couldn't even go the first day of school, his first full day in Burgess, without seeing one, could he? It looked like this would be a very long year indeed.

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, here's chapter 2. Once again I own only the plot. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

At the sound of the bell Hiccup shoved his notebook, folder, pencils, and a copy of the _Count of Monte Cristo_ into his backpack and made a beeline for the door, only checking his schedule once he was safely concealed within the sea of students. He had absorbed little if any information from his teacher. The young teen had been too absorbed with the ghost, green eyes repeatedly flicking over to meet cautious yet inquisitive brown; that is, until those green eyes were met with a pair of icy blue. Hiccup had quickly looked away, from then on only daring to observe the trio in his periphery. What he noticed was disheartening. The whitette turned to the red head, whispering in her ear before pointing towards Hiccup. At that point the brunette was struggling against the urge to reacquaint his forehead with the desk. It was his turn to be watched, three pairs of questioning eyes taking turns observing the boy. Hiccup groaned as he walked down the hallway. Hopefully that was the last he would see of the three, or at least the two living ones. Hiccup had a feeling, settled annoyingly in his gut that he would help the woman with her unfinished business, whatever it turned out to be. That was how these encounters usually worked out. Yet, the young teen's wishes were not to be answered. He shared his next two classes, world history and biology, with the trio. By the end of 2nd block, Hiccup found himself sketching the woman out on a clean sheet of notebook paper, labeling the drawing with eye, hair, skin, and clothing color. She had no distinguishing mannerisms besides her attachment to the two older teens. By the end of 3rd block, Hiccup was sure the red head and whitette were suspicious if not creeped-out by his not-as-subtle-as-he-hoped observation. The brunette quickly dashed for the halls yet again once the bell for passing period sounded. Hiccup sighed, glancing up every now and then to check room numbers. He should be happy the woman was the only ghost he had met in school thus far. Yes, Hiccup would focus on the positive, he could deal with one ghost. When and if the woman sought him out, Hiccup would be more than willing to help her. Just not on school premises…

"Hi, I'm Guy. I'll be teaching you how to work the equipment back here."

Hiccup jumped in his seat, whirling around and tilting his head upwards to meet a pair of intelligent, chocolate-brown eyes. The male before him was at least two years his senior, with a well-worn, muddy-brown t-shirt, sporting a few holes and what appeared to be scorch marks. His grey jeans were held up by a burgundy tool belt, tucked into long faux-fur boots with three furry yellow claws. His hair was a mop of brown waves, a short ponytail shooting up from his skull, slightly tilted to his right. The toned muscles in his arms revealed themselves when the teen offered a hand in greeting. Hiccup hesitated in taking the much larger and stronger hand, but eventually reached out as well. The older teen's grip was firm and his shake enthusiastic. His eyes sparkled. He paused, staring at Hiccup expectantly.

After a moment, realization hit the younger teen as a blush began to creep up his face, "Oh, uh, hi. My name's Hiccup. Sorry, I didn't catch yours…"

"I'm Guy. It's nice to meet you Hiccup. Welcome to advanced engineering," he answered warmly, motioning to the room with his other arm.

"Uh, thanks," Hiccup replied, grabbing his right arm and rubbing it nervously, while breaking eye contact to stare at the floor tiles.

Guy smiled warmly, backing up a step and gesturing around the room, "So, teach' wants me to give you an overview of our humble little shop, care to join me on the grand tour?"

Hiccup nodded slowly, standing up and following the elder teen. He listened politely as Guy talked, absorbing information about each machine. It seemed that all of the classroom's technology was either less broken or more advanced than Gobber's. New schematics ran through his brain, so that by the end of Guy's tour, the young teen was itching for a writing utensil and some paper. Hiccup was surprised, however, that once Guy was finished and Hiccup returned to his seat, the older teen soon joined him, watching as graphite and loose-leaf transformed into something more. Hiccup paused in his sketching, trying to figure out why the older teen was still here. Hadn't the teacher only required that Guy show him around the shop? If so, why would he sit next to Hiccup when there were plenty of open seats far away from the gangly, awkward, freckled sophomore?

Guy had his feet up on the horizontal bar of his chair, elbows resting on his knees, and head held by his hands, brown eyes staring intently at Hiccup's work. Once he noticed the younger's inquisitive stare, he straightened and gave a toothy grin.

"So what are you working on? Some kind of load-bearing-spring system? What's it for?" Guy questioned, leaning towards the younger teen and pointing at the paper.

"Oh, this is a rudimentary prosthetic sketch. Back home, we didn't have the most precise instruments or a lot of light weight but sturdy metals. With the resources here, I could cut down on the base, making it lighter and more functional, and I could make the height adjustable, here and here. I also need to change the attachment to the remaining flesh leg. You see, wood is tolerable at best, but more often than not, can cause extreme discomfort if not constantly maintained. If I made a hollowed metal base and covered it in leather, like this, and then used a shock absorbing agent to surround the flesh…" the bright light in Hiccup's eyes dimmed, a deep blush rising from his neck to cover his face as he sat back, "Uh, sorry about that, didn't mean to ramble, I, uh, I tend to get a little carried away."

"What? No, that was really cool! I've never seen anyone our age ambitious enough to tackle prosthetic limbs, much less have success in it. That's really impressive Hiccup, but how do you know if they're functional or not? I mean, you can't really test one out without a human subject, right?" Guy questioned, grabbing the paper and scrutinizing the design, eyes flicking back to Hiccup each time the boy opened his mouth to answer.

Hiccup glanced down at his left leg nervously, clenching his fists against his chest, "I, uh, I…I make prosthetics for my-my cat, and, uh–"

"Your cat? Wow that's amazing, I mean, uh, sorry about your cat. I mean, it's really cool that you make prosthetics for animals, but I'm sorry that your cat needs a prosthetic, uh, yeah?" the older boy stumbled over his words, gesturing wildly.

Hiccup couldn't help the smile that pulled his lips upwards sideways, or the chuckle that escaped his mouth, "It's okay, really. It happened years ago. I'm just glad I can make him a replacement."

Guy smiled and then shot up from his seat, eliciting a yelp from the younger teen, "You know what? You should bring your cat to class one day. So we can see his prosthetic, yeah? Who knows, maybe someone in class or teach' could help make some adjustments. Plus, I've always wanted to see one up close."

"Would that really be okay? Bringing a cat to school, I mean. What if someone, I don't know, has allergies or something?" Hiccup questioned, not sure if he was excited about the prospect or reluctant.

The elder teen just waved him off, standing up as the bell rang, signaling the end of class, "Nah, I'm sure it would be fine, plus teach' would pull some strings if it wasn't. I mean seriously, how often do you get a chance to see something like that in action?"

"Well–"

"I mean when you don't build them on a regular basis," Guy smirked, swinging his backpack over one shoulder and heading out the door, "See you Wednesday Hiccup!"

Hiccup waved, smile stuck firmly to his face, "Yeah, see you…"

The younger teen carefully filed his sketches away and made way for the door, pulling out his schedule as he joined the mob. His stomach rumbled as he wandered towards the cafeteria. One look into the crowded atrium had Hiccup turning around. After a small search, the nearly empty library was located. Hiccup situated himself behind the fantasy section, took out a simple pb&j sandwich and an apple, and munched happily. After he finished his meal, the bell had yet to ring, so the young teen rummaged through the books, glancing through a couple before leaving the library and heading towards his next class. His smile morphed into a frown and a groan erupted from his throat as he glanced down at his schedule. Hiccup's next class was physical fitness, read worst class ever. He sighed as he entered the gym, but soon looked around in confusion…where was everyone? His answer came in the form of students entering the gym from two entrances, girls from the left and boys from the right. Everyone was dressed in the same basic attire, an old t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. Well, everyone save the whitette from earlier, who came in barefoot. Hiccup stood there nervously, glancing down at his oversized olive sweater, blue-jeans, and tall brown boots. He looked back up to see the ghost from earlier walking up to the same two teens who were talking by the opposite wall. A tall woman entered the room, with short, strawberry-blonde hair, blowing a whistle. The students ceased their chattering and lined up against the back wall. Hiccup took the hint, not wanting to anger the tall, muscled woman, and followed suit.

"Alright class, we'll warm up with laps around the gym for five minutes, then we'll split into two teams for some dodge-ball," her voice was drowned out as three fourths of the class burst into cheers while the last fourth grumbled, "alright, alright, calm down. Remember, NO headshots. Now skedaddle."

The students gave general noises of consent as they began to jog or walk around the gym, some racing and playfully pushing one another. Hiccup's eyes lingered on the ghost, who stood to the side of the gym and observed, before moving to join the others.

"Hey, hold up there freckles," Hiccup turned around and glanced upward to meet the hazel eyes of his teacher.

"Uh, yes?" he asked slowly, eyes flicking to the other students then back to the teacher.

She gave him a once over, as if that was his answer, before asking, "Where are your gym clothes? Why haven't you changed yet?"

"Oh, sorry," Hiccup could feel the blush of embarrassment sneaking back up his neck, voice slowly lowering in volume as he continued talking, "I'm new here and I didn't know we needed a change of clothes…"

The woman raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief, "Well, I'll let you off for today, but make sure you bring them tomorrow."

"But–"

"No buts, no exceptions, proper attire is required for gym class, mister, I don't need anyone overheating on my watch," she interrupted him sternly.

"But, you don't understand. I can't wear normal shoes," he broke eye contact, playing with the sleeves of his sweater.

"And why is that?" she demanded, wondering what crazy excuse this child had for not wearing shoes; really, she already had one student to deal with as far as footwear was concerned, she didn't need another.

Hiccup took a deep breath, before mumbling, "My prosthetic won't fit in normal shoes."

"Oh," her posture loosened slightly in surprise, pausing for a moment before continuing "jeez, I'm sorry kid, but I can't allow you to go without proper gym attire; you see, it counts for a large part of your grade, but it's more due to the danger of overheating. And don't worry about the other students; I tolerate no bullying in my gymnasium. You'll have to sit out for today, but I expect you to come fully prepared next class, understood?"

The brunette sighed, realizing this was a battle he could not win, "Understood."

For the next half hour, Hiccup waited by the entrance to the gym, splitting his attention between the oh so riveting game and the ghost standing, or was she floating, at the other side of the gym. She seemed strangely content and, for a lack of a better term, uninterested in Hiccup's ability to see her which was a first for the boy. Scratch that. Not a first, but definitely unusual. He also couldn't tell why she was here. Was she following the boy, the girl, or both? And why? He might be able to catch her after school, or perhaps he should wait to see if she approached him. In any case, the bell had rung and Hiccup lifted his back pack from the floor and promptly exited. His next class, algebra-3-trigonometry, passed uneventfully, the only abnormality being that the class consisted mostly of juniors. A small smile snuck upon Hiccup's lips as he made his way to his final class of the day, advanced art. Like engineering, Hiccup assumed that this class would include students from multiple grade levels.

Hiccup entered the large classroom. Instead of individual desks, the room was filled with long tables. Two large windows filled one wall of the class room, while the other two were covered by cabinets filled with art supplies. Hiccup took a seat in the corner next to one of the windows. As the other students began to trickle in, Hiccup took out his new sketchbook, the one Gobber had bound for him just before he left Berk. The class held a total of nine students, including Hiccup, one of which was a tall, pale girl with sparkling, green eyes, bubbling over with excitement. Her most noticeable feature was the thick braid of blond hair, trailing towards the floor. She practically danced over to Hiccup.

"Hi! My name's Rapunzel. It's so nice to meet you!" she flashed a brilliant smile, hand outstretched.

Hiccup gazed up at her in surprise, pausing midway through detailing a wing. The elder teen wore a long purple dress covered in golden suns. She, like the whitette, was barefoot. Hiccup was beginning to question the strictness of the school's dress code.

"Uh, hi, I'm Hiccup," he replied nervously, took her outstretched hand, and proceeded to almost get his arm ripped out of its socket due to her enthusiastic greeting.

"That's an interesting name, Hiccup, I like it. Are you new here? I haven't seen you before," she questioned, plopping down in the seat next to his and pulling out a pink sketch book.

"Thanks? Yeah, I'm new," Hiccup replied, pausing their conversation to hear the welcoming speech from the teacher.

When the rounded man finished speaking, he allowed his students the class period for independent drawing and getting to know one another. Their first assignment would be given next class.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Rapunzel squealed as the small class relaxed, "I just love art, don't you? I can't wait for our first project. Oh, oh, oh, what kinds of media do you like to use?"

Hiccup chuckled slightly at the girl's enthusiasm, "Uh, yeah, I like art. I've never met anyone else who does. I–"

"Really! Who doesn't like art?" she asked, green eyes wide in disbelief.

The younger teen began twirling his pencil and rolled his eyes, "Oh, I don't know, the whole population of Berk?"

"Berk?" Rapunzel questioned, testing the new word on her lips as she wrinkled her nose, "Well, that's a shame, but to each their own, I guess…"

Hiccup turned back to his sketch as the elder teen trailed off. His attention was slowly lost in his work of jagged teeth and curving tails. It took Rapunzel a couple tries to call him back to Earth.

"-cup…Hey, Hiccup!"

He jumped and dropped his pencil, the small tool rolling off the table and onto the tiled floor, "Uh, y-yes?"

Rapunzel giggled at his fumbling, reaching down and returning the writing utensil, "You never answered my question. What kind of media do you prefer to use?"

"Oh, sorry, uhm, I guess if I had to choose, it'd be charcoal? Though, I'd like to experiment more with colored pencils, or maybe try painting. But, yeah, for the most part it's just been graphite and charcoal," he shrugged dismissively before questioning the blond, "What media do you like to use?"

"I love to paint! Heh, you should see my house, I'm pretty sure there isn't a blank spot left. Colored pencils are also a lot of fun, but I've never tried charcoal before. We should switch supplies, huh?" She laughed, absentmindedly sketching a bird at the edge of a used piece of paper.

Hiccup stared at the drawing in curiosity. It was a portrait of a male with large eyes and the beginnings of a beard on his chin. A smirk played across his lips, thick eyebrows raised in slight challenge as if asking 'do you really think you can capture my perfection?' and Hiccup would have to say that yes, Rapunzel did. His hair was parted to the side, ears slightly larger than average. The only oddity was that a giant sticker of a frying pan had been placed in the center of his face, covering up his nose. Rapunzel followed Hiccup's stare and giggled.

"That's my friend, Flynn," she spoke, causing the younger teen to jump slightly, "the frying pan is a little joke of ours, I'm sure it must look rather strange."

"Oh, no, well, yeah, a little strange, I guess, but overall it's brilliant. I mean, I've never seen him before, but you managed to capture a lot of emotion in his expression. It's really good," Hiccup stuttered gesturing somewhat sporadically.

"Aww, thanks Hiccup, that's really sweet of you," she smiled before turning her attention towards the table, "but I'm more interested in what you're drawing. Is that a dragon?"

Hiccup tried to push down the blush rising towards his cheeks, "Uh, yeah, it is, heh, lame huh?"

"Hiccup," Rapunzel began, her voice stern, "I just said I was interested in it and you must not believe that with how much effort you're putting into it, so why would you say it's lame? I think it's really cool!"

Shy green eyes flicked upwards in surprise, "You-you really think he's cool?" at her nod, a goofy grin spread across his face, "Really? This is actually my first time trying to draw a Zippleback, you know, it's hard to keep the wings in proportion while still making them large enough to support the extra head and tail, but I think I've just about got it."

"That's great Hiccup! You called this one a Zippleback, right? What does that mean?" Rapunzel asked with genuine curiosity.

"Oh, the Zippleback is a species of dragon. They're lots more of these guys, from all different cultures. The Zippleback is from Nordic legends. The Norse were really organized, they had a whole book of dragons where they kept track of the characteristics and behavior of each species. Some of them even have rough sketches and–"

Hiccup paused as the bell sounded for dismissal. He lowered his arms, which had been waving around wildly as he spoke, and his cheeks began to warm as he realized his rambling had taken over once more. Rapunzel just flashed another dazzling smile as she stood, her backpack already full.

"You sure know a lot about dragons, Hiccup. Could you tell me more about them next class?" her smile somehow widened as the brunette nodded timidly, "Alright then, I'll see you later Hiccup. Oh, and welcome to Burgess. I hope you like it here!"

A grin snuck onto the teen's face as he slung his backpack over one shoulder and hurried out into the crowds. Eventually Hiccup found himself outside the front entrance, buses lined up before him ready to take students home. Instead of entering one of the yellow monsters, Hiccup ran up to a rusting bike rack, fumbled for the keys in his pocket, then mounted his black and blue steed. He paused a moment, that shiver racing up his spine. The woman from before was standing next to the whitette, who now donned a dark blue hoodie. Hiccup grew nervous, wondering if he should approach the woman or not. His answer came when a pair of icy blue eyes found his own. Hiccup buckled his helmet and took off, weaving through crowds as that shiver continued to plague him.

**Thanks for reading! The next chapter will switch perspectives. Oh, and please let me know if anyone sounds OOC, I'll do my best to fix it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3. It's a little shorter and more of a filler, but I wanted to give a little glimpse into Jack's life and a hint as to who the ghost is. I also want to offer a special thanks to everyone who's reviewed thus far! Again, I only own the plot and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Jack waved Merida off, waiting for the other students and buses to disperse. Absentmindedly, he glanced around until locking eyes with that kid from earlier. The freckled boy froze as Jack turned to him, forest green eyes widening before taking off on his bike. Weird. Jack watched the boy swerve away on the empty sidewalk. The whitette shook his head, wondering who would trust such an uncoordinated kid with a bicycle. Jack had been surprised when the young male entered his classroom that morning. The freckled teen barely looked thirteen, much less fifteen, but looks could be deceiving. Jack decided he had wasted enough time staring after the brunette and that it was time to start his lonely trek to the middle school. A cool breeze ruffled his white locks, foretelling the coming of autumn. Jack pulled up his hood, slung his backpack over one shoulder, and started walking. About a half hour later, the whitette found himself at the entrance to Burgess Middle. Dropping his backpack in the mulch, Jack slouched onto a bench. Reluctantly, the teen pulled out the book he received from English earlier that day. Really, who assigned homework on the first day school? By the time children began filing out of the educational prison, Jack had read through the first three chapters and begrudgingly found interest in Dante's plight. He stood up when three pairs of feet had joined him. Jack smiled as the preteens grumbled about their teachers and chattered excitedly about classes they shared with friends. The walk to the elementary school flew by with company and the babble continued as they waited for the rest of their crew. Eventually, the four were joined by ten elementary-schoolers, ranging from first to fifth grade.

"Jack!" a young girl with straight, shoulder length brown hair launched herself at the whitette.

The teen caught her, spinning in a circle before depositing the giggling girl atop his shoulders and pretending to lurch under her light weight, "Hey Sunny, oof, how many books did you shove in that thing?"

"Jack," the girl laughed, giving him a playful smack, "it's not that heavy!"

Sinking closer to the ground and giggling children with each step, Jack tried to keep the grin off his face, "Ugh, I-I don't think I can make it!"

He slumped to the sidewalk, lying so that the brown eyed girl would stay upright. Soon three or four other bodies jumped atop him, joining the brown-eyed girl.

"Somebody help! I've fallen and cannot get up," Jack pleaded, reaching out one hand before letting it fall limp to the earth.

The children burst into laughter, a couple latching onto his hands to pull him upwards.

"Come on Jack! We're hungry, let's go home and eat!"

Jack finally stood, wobbling slightly as he balanced Sunny on his shoulders before taking the hands of two first graders, "Alright, alright, I'm coming."

It only took about fifteen more minutes for the group to reach a tall brick building. It had three floors, each with four windows, and a basement. Bedrooms were on the second floor and the third held a recreational room, while the main floor held the greeting area, the kitchen, and dining table. The basement was a storage unit, rarely ventured except by the bravest or most bored children. A large sign hung above the doorway, a little crooked, with the words 'Burgess Home for Children' in large white letters. Sometimes after a large snow, the words would disappear, so that the sign appeared to be a blank canvass, just like the futures of the children who lived here.

Jack held back a sigh as he entered his 'home', thanking the young blond who held open the door for the others. Once inside, the eldest orphan set his sister on the floor, releasing a large sigh before allowing a sly smirk to curl his lips.

"I call cups!"

The young brunette sighed as he locked the door to his bedroom. He could hear the low mutterings of the television as his father relaxed on the couch downstairs. Why did every interaction with the giant of a man have to be so awkward? Hiccup couldn't last one dinner without feeling the need to escape upstairs. A light purr interrupted his internal grumblings as a mass of midnight-blue fur rubbed against right leg.

"Hey Bud! Did ya miss me?" the teen asked, lifting the crippled cat into his arms and plopping on his bed.

Hiccup laid back, allowing Toothless to curl up on his chest, blinking at him with those toxic green eyes. The brunette let his thoughts wander as the vibrating cat soothed him into a relaxed state. During his short jaunt with Toothless, Hiccup located the library, less than a block from his house. A mental map began to form in his mind, a little star where the library stood. Since Hiccup had no access to a computer at home, he would have to depend on a public source for both school projects and personal research. Thinking of personal research…Hiccup sat up, ignoring Toothless's meow of disapproval, and began rummaging through his bag. He flipped through his folders before locating the sketch of the woman from earlier that day. He jumped up, ignoring the squeak of his prosthetic, opened up his sock drawer, and shoved his hands underneath the pile of clothes. Toothless watched Hiccup from the bed, his tail flicking in mild irritation as the boy retrieved a large binder from beneath his undergarments and returned. He flipped over the cover, snapped open the rings, and slipped in the newest sheet of paper. Hiccup took a moment to flip through the other cases before closing the binder and returning it to his hiding place. It's not like Stoick often entered his son's room, much less took the time to search it, but Hiccup would rather be safe than sorry. The brunette returned to the bed, scratching under the feline's chin until the purring resumed. Hiccup sighed as he curled up around Toothless, trailing his fingers through his silky fur.

"What do you think Toothless? Think I'll see her tomorrow?" the brunette whispered, watching those toxic eyes blink open.

Toothless stretched slightly, rolling his head around before staring straight at his human. He reached out his front, right paw and batted at Hiccup's nose, claws sheathed.

A chuckle escaped from the brunette, "You're right. I shouldn't worry about it yet. Not much I can do now, can I?"

Hiccup would've sworn to anyone who would listen that a wide grin stretched across the feline's face as he rolled onto his back, rubbing his head against the comforter. The brunette obliged the cat, scratching the exposed belly and allowing Toothless to gnaw at his hand playfully. Soon the two were in a scuffle, rolling off the bed and onto the floor, dilated toxic green eyes trained on the fingered appendage as Hiccup moved his hand across the ground, watching the black head flit back and forth. After the two friends tired of their play, they moved back to the bed, leaving the moonlight to dance across the floor. Hiccup sat cross-legged, Toothless curled in his lap, a book in one hand, the other occupied with combing through his friend's fur. At the end of the chapter, he set the book on his bedside table, running both hands across the sleepy cat.

"Hey Toothless," Hiccup mumbled, continuing after seeing the ear flick denoting that his friend was listening, "how would you feel about coming to school with me one day?"

Two green eyes flickered open, staring upwards at the boy before narrowing.

"Aw, come on, it wouldn't be that bad. Guy just wants to take a look at your leg, I'm sure he'd be gentle. It might not even have to be the whole day," Hiccup tried again, tilting his head to the side.

The cat flicked his tail, standing, stretching, and then leaving the warm lap.

"Toooothleeeeess. I'm not saying any time soon, maybe after I test out this new design. Just…at least consider it?" Hiccup pleaded, watching the feline groom his front paw.

Toothless paused in his grooming, padded over to his human, and rubbed against him.

"Thanks Bud," Hiccup grinned, scratching beneath the cat's chin.

Toothless smiled again, nudging the boy with his head before pawing at the covers.

"Okay, you're right, it's late. I'll go get changed then head to bed," the brunette relented, reaching for his pajamas.

After yelling goodnight to his father and receiving a well-wishing grunt in return, Hiccup curled up beneath the covers. Toothless hopped onto the bed, kneading at the pillows before finding the spot suitable for rest. A low, rumbling purr emanated from the cat, lulling the brunette to sleep.

"Goodnight Toothless."

**Thanks for reading! For now the updates will be frequent, because I'm on break, but once school starts up again, I have no idea when/if I'll be able to update. Also, sorry if there's any confusion, but I'm only giving names to characters that appear in the films, so Sunny (it's a nickname) is Jack's sister and the other children are thus far left unnamed. If that's confusing or annoying just let me know. Things will pick up a bit next chapter =)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, here's chapter four. Day 2 started to get super long, so I split it into two chapters. The identity of the ghost won't be revealed until next chapter, sorry. Also, Merida speaks in this section, so I apologize for my attempt at her accent. I own nothing but the plot and I hope you enjoy reading!**

Hiccup wormed through the mob of students gathered in the atrium awaiting the start of school. The sound of a distinctive, boisterous laugh froze the boy mid-step. Shock withheld his dread as the brunette slowly turned to his left, green eyes searching the crowds. Next to the pillar stood a tall male with long reddish-brown hair, wiping a tear from his olive-green eye. A blue tattoo stretched across his left eye, three long, blue streaks, as if some giant creature had slashed its claws across his face. Hiccup couldn't see it from his angle, but he knew a matching tattoo lay on the male's right arm. The male straightened up and Hiccup shrunk beneath the crowds, praying to the gods that he would escape detection. As quickly as possible, the brunette slipped through the masses, all but running to his first class. Hiccup collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily as his mind processed what he had just seen. Dagur. Dagur was in the atrium. Dagur attended Burgess High. Dagur lived in Burgess. Hiccup was doomed. Nope, this was it. He should go write his will while he can. He'd leave what little he owned to Toothless. There, it was settled. With Dagur within a three mile radius, Hiccup wouldn't last the week. A shaky chuckle escaped the brunette when he realized his hands were shaking. It'd been almost a year since he'd seen his deranged tormentor. That visit had been cut mercifully short and he had not been forced to withstand the menace alone. Now, however, Hiccup was trapped inside a building for seven hours with the maniac, without the protection of his father or Oswald.

The brunette was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost missed the shiver that ran up his already trembling form. Hiccup, glad for any distraction from his inevitable demise, glanced up, expecting to see the woman from yesterday. To his surprise, it was not the woman trailing after the barefoot male, but a man. He had short, dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He was looking straight at Hiccup and smiled when he caught the boy's attention. The man offered a little wave, laughing at the boy's confused expression. Glancing around the room to make sure no one was watching, Hiccup offered a small wave of his own, earning a larger grin from the specter. Hiccup spent the rest of class sending the ghost secret glances and recording his features on a new sheet of paper. Although the man seemed friendly, he didn't approach Hiccup and just silently followed the two teens out of the classroom. Once in the halls, the brunette did his best to disappear into the crowd. He glanced down at his schedule and saw that he would only attend every other class, so he made his way to biology. His teacher took full advantage of the longer class period. After a brief tutorial on how to use a microscope, he assigned each student a slide containing multiple cells and required them to create a visual replica of what they observed. Microscopes were divvied out along with the slides. Hiccup found the task exciting, for it was his first time using the device. After drawing his observations, the brunette spent the rest of class playing around with the instrument. His concentration was broken by a loud shattering crash. The boy jumped, eyes snapping towards the sound of Scottish swearing.

"Oh cac! Ye got ta be kiddin meh!" the ginger girl screeched, bemoaning her broken slide.

"Merida!" the teacher exclaimed, "I don't care if it's in another language, I do not allow profanity in my class. You'll be staying after to clean up this mess."

The ginger, Merida, groaned and threw up her hands in the air. The whitette chuckled at his friend's distress.

"Wow Mer, what did that thing insult you or something?"

"Oh shu' up ya stuhpid snowman!" she shouted pushing the chuckling teen over.

The ghost was laughing with the whitette and looked as if he tried to speak, something along the lines of are you okay? The teen waved his hand in the air dismissively, smirking then opening his mouth to respond. Before he could, the bell rang.

He shook his head, "Have fun cleaning, princess. I'll be sure to save you a seat."

The whitette winked, chuckling as the ginger's curses followed him out the door. Hiccup, however, wasn't paying attention to that. The brunette's mind was trained on the exchange he had just witnessed. The older teen with white hair and bare feet had, in the course of two days, been followed by two different ghosts, both of which seemed unsurprised and uncaring when a living human saw them. Just now, it almost looked as if the teen had seen the male ghost and had been about to respond to him before the bell interrupted. Could it be…could this white haired teen also communicate with the dead? Hiccup gasped and leaned against the lockers for support. A small part of his brain wondered when he had entered the hall, but that was ignored in favor of this pondering this possibility. It could all be coincidence, the boy reminded himself. But the chance still existed and Hiccup knew the one sure way to find out. He had to talk to the ghost that was following the older boy. With a new sense of purpose and butterflies in his stomach, Hiccup took off down the fairly empty hallway. However, his plight was all but forgotten when a large, beefy hand latched onto his stick-like arm and pulled him down a secluded hallway.

"Wha– " the boy yelped in surprise, instinctually struggling against the iron hold.

He froze in horror as he faced his captor, "Oh ho ho ho. Hiccup! I didn't know you went to my school!"

The tall male flashed a grin of sharpened teeth, his eyes large and wild, "Oh, whaddaya know. H-Hey, Dagur. I, uh, I didn't know you went here either…"

"Aha! It must be fate then, brother. Now I can see you every day!" the larger boy laughed, not having loosened his grip in the slightest.

"Wha? Brother? Every day?" Hiccup repeated, stunned by the fact that he had not been pounded into the wall yet and confused by Dagur's strange behavior.

"Yes brother. It's been too long hasn't it? Come, let's go catch up and have some _fun_," the male's grin darkened as he began pulling the younger teen away.

"Wha-wait, no!" Hiccup yelled, twisting and tugging his arm with all his little might, "Dagur, l-let go of me!"

The small brunette knew what Dagur's idea of fun consisted of and was pretty sure he wouldn't survive it. The lopsided grin warped into a dangerous frown. A yelp of pain escaped the younger teen as his back and head were harshly introduced to the lockers, his small backpack doing little to soften the collision. Hiccup kicked weakly, reaching for the ground or perhaps Dagur's leg. His hands were busy clawing at the limb wrapped around his skinny neck.

"I said," Dagur growled, his voice no longer jovial, but low and menacing, "We're gonna have some fun."

Hiccup could only squeak in response, eliciting a dark laugh from Dagur. The smaller boy paused in his struggling, staring straight into olive orbs. Dagur's eyes were always filled with a deranged light that would darken depending on his mood. Now, however, there was something new, some strange glint that Hiccup couldn't recognize. It frightened him more than the hand squeezing his windpipe. The edges of Hiccup's vision were slowly turning black. Dagur came from that darkness, a demon sent to end his short existence.

"Oi!" a loud voice shouted, surprising Dagur enough to slacken his grip, "Wha' ahr yah doin' tah 'im?"

Hiccup gasped for air, slowly turning to face his savior.

Merida grumbled as she left biology. Stupid teacher, stupid glass, stupid science! Her stomach made its discomfort known, reminding the Scottish lass exactly what she was late for. Picking up her pace and promising many pains should Jack not have saved her a place, she quickly made her way down the hallway.

"Ah!" a voice exclaimed accompanied by the sound of lockers rattling.

Immediately, the red-head's blood began to boil, stomach forgotten. If there was one thing Merida couldn't stand, it was bullying. It was worse than all of her mother's pointless etiquette lessons, her brothers' pranks, and the accent jokes combined. The teen rolled up her sleeves and ran towards where she heard the comotion. She turned a corner and there they were, that madman Dagur and the scrawny boy from her English class.

"Oi!" she called, clenching her fists as she stared the giant down, "Wha' ahr yah doin' tah 'im?"

Dagur growled as the boy gasped for breath, turning to face her with a feral grin, "Hiccup and I were just about to have a little fun. Weren't we, Hiccup?"

Merida retorted as the small brunette scoffed, "It didan' look like fun tah meh, yah nastay brute! Now let the wee lamb go befoh Ay make yah."

Dagur narrowed his eyes, tension building in the air. Suddenly, the large male burst into laughter, head lifted towards the ceiling, both hands curled around his stomach. The boy stumbled back towards Merida the moment he was released. Dagur continued for a good minute before stopping abruptly and smiling at the duo.

"Oh, I like your friend. She certainly knows how to bring the funny! Ahaha, I am amused and hungry," he laughed as he passed the two younger students, Merida purposefully placing herself between Dagur and the boy, "I guess our fun will just have to wait. See you later, Hiccup."

The giant released another insane cackle as he left, almost drowning out the younger boy's shudder behind her. Once Merida was sure the maniac was gone, she turned around. The boy was huddled against the wall, hands curled at his chest, green eyes watching where Dagur disappeared to.

"Oi," Merida called, softer than before.

Nevertheless, the smaller boy jumped, turning to face her and opening his mouth.

Merida was faster, "Yah gotta name fishbone?"

He nodded quickly, "Uh, yeah, I-I'm Hiccup. Th–"

"Hiccup?" Merida questioned, testing the strange name on her lips, "Is tha yah real name?"

"Well, yes, I–"

The ginger burst into laughter, the hearty, non-maniacal kind. A blush rose up Hiccup's neck as the girl continued to guffaw at his name.

After a while, he huffed, crossing his arms with a pout, "It's not that funny."

"Yeah it is. An' I though' Dagur wa' a strange one," she chuckled a little longer, then grabbed the boy's wrist, pulling him down the hall, "Well, now tha' tha's ovah we bettah get some grub in yah!"

"Wha–Bu–" the boy tried as he stumbled after the red-head.

Merida chuckled, wagging a finger back at the boy, "No buts Hiccup! Like I said, ye be not'in bu' a wee fishbone. An' I'll not leave ya alone while tha' brute is on th' prowl. Now on with ye. Jack canno' save those seats forevah!"

Hiccup just opened and closed his mouth a few times, too bewildered by the recent turn of events to argue. Merida peered into the crowded lunchroom, searching for that telltale shock of white hair. Soon enough she found the taller teen and began pushing her way through the masses, dragging the shorter boy behind her. Jack was settled with his back against a pillar, backpack beside him, and small unidentified sandwich in hand. Merida waved, catching his attention before finishing her trek and plopping down, bringing the freckled boy with her.

Icy blue eyes shifted from the younger teen to Merdia, then back again, "Well, lookie what the cat dragged in. What could you have possibly done that warranted Merida dragging you over to the prankster king?"

Forest green eyes widened as the boy opened his mouth to either defend himself or Merida, when the red-head cut in, "Wha' did I tell ye abou' runnin' yah mouth, Frost? It's nay good to anyone! Now, if ye woul' shut yah trap for a second ay could tell yah wha' happened."

Jack raised his arms in surrender, "Yikes, I apologize your highness, go right ahead."

Merida fumed as she watched that smug smirk curl upon her best friend's face, "Frost, I swahr! If ye donna stop with thi' 'princess' an' 'highness' business, I'll shoot yah head clean off!"

The whitette grinned, winking at the freckled teen, "Alright Mer, I'll cut it out. Just hurry up."

"Alrigh'. I wa' walkin' tah lunch when I 'eard a high pitched scream. So, I 'urried down tha hall an' found none otha than Dagur 'olding up thi' fishbone by his neck. So, I went down thar an' scared the brute off!" Merida finished, holding her hands at her hips and all but shouting in triumph.

Jack's eyes widened, glancing over at the younger teen to see bruises beginning to form around his small throat, "Whoa, so I guess you played the prince this time, Mer…fighting off the fearsome dragon Dagur to save our freckled princess!"

Merida glared at the whitette's laughter, noting the deep blush forming on the younger boy's face, "Aww, leave 'im alone. Don' yah think 'e's been through enough withou' yer teasin'?"

Throughout their entire conversation, Hiccup's eyes had been darting between the teens and somewhere off to the side and behind Jack, as if waiting for Dagur to appear again. Merida huffed, angry at her friend for further distressing the already anxious boy.

"Uh, Merida, he may be right though. I really want to-to thank you for saving me from Dagur. If not, I'd be a gonner," the brunette spoke softly but sincerely.

Jack chuckled nervously, "A gonner? I know Dagur's pretty bad, but it's not like he would've killed you, kid. Just try to stay out of his way and you'll be fine."

Hiccup shook his head, "No, no, I'm pretty positive Dagur is capable of murder. I mean, he's almost killed me a few times before."

"What!?" both elder teens exclaimed.

Hiccup stared at them in slight confusion, as if not understanding why they were so surprised, "Y-yeah, I mean, I'm kinda surprised he didn't chuck one of his knives at me, it seems to be a favorite pastime of his."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold your horses freckles. First of all, who are you and how do you know Dagur; second of all, knives?!" Jack questioned, waving his arms to get the boy's attention.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Hiccup," the boy continued, giving an eye roll as Jack sniggered, "and I've known Dagur since…forever? You see, his dad and my dad are old friends, so Oswald would bring Dagur with him when he came to visit. They thought it would be the greatest if their sons were friends, right? So they had the bright idea of leaving us alone together for some 'bonding time' while they talked about the glory days. I don't know if you've noticed, but Dagur is insane. The kids from my hometown still call him Dagur the Deranged."

"Wait," Jack interrupted, eyebrows raised in question, "Your father left you alone with that nut-job? What, is he blind?"

Hiccup shook his head, "No. I don't think he realizes just how bad Dagur is, no matter how many times I tell him. My father always thought that spending time with Dagur would toughen me up or something, I don't know. Though, he pretty much stopped leaving me alone with him after Dagur tried to drown me."

"Wha!" Merida exclaimed, her face twisting in horror and outrage, "Tha' beast tried ta drown ya?"

"Yeah. I don't know what kind of reputation Dagur has built for himself here, but back in Berk just about everyone knows he's a menace. I mean, he called hide-and-go-seek hide-and-go-maim. He uses me to practice knife throwing. He once locked Fishlegs in a cage and force-fed him rotten cod. The twins refuse to speak about their experience, but they didn't leave their 'dark, soggy, alone place' for a week. I've been threatened, tackled, beaten, tied-up, almost drowned…well, you get the idea," the boy finished, arms wrapped tightly around his legs with his head resting atop his knees.

Jack released a long whistle, "Whoa, I knew the dude was crazy, but that's like a whole new level of insane. How is he not in jail yet?"

Hiccup only shrugged, having lost his appetite. Merida shared a pointed look with Jack, who grinned in confirmation. He turned back to the freckled boy, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Well, Hiccup my friend, it looks like we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other from here on out. After all, we can't leave our little damsel to be eaten by the deranged dragon, now can we?" Jack smirked as Hiccup grew pink.

Merida chortled as the bell signaled for the end of lunch, "Fer once, yer right Frost. We'll 'ave ta keep a keen eye on our wee lamb. Why don' cha show 'im ta th' boys' locker room?"

"It would be my honor," Jack smirked as he pulled the smaller boy up and wrapped an arm around him, "Come fair, freckled Hiccup, away!"

The red-head smiled as she watched her friend drag off the reddening youth.

**Thanks for reading! Next chapter will switch back to Hiccup's perspective and you'll get to see his take on what's going on. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, here's chapter 5! I don't own anything but the plot and I hope you enjoy this chapter =)**

Hiccup found himself walking in a daze. Nothing made sense anymore and the brunette was finding it difficult to keep up. He barely noticed when the whitette, Jack his mind recalled, released him.

"Uh, hey there sleeping short-stuff. Are you okay?" Jack asked, waving his hand repeatedly in front of Hiccup's face.

The brunette snapped out of his stupor to find himself surrounding by rows of grey lockers, the room filled with the incoherent babblings of sophomore males. At some point while Hiccup was off staring into the recesses of an open locker, Jack had changed into his sportswear, the ghost no longer in sight. The brunette blinked a few times, green meeting blue.

"Oh good, there you are. Um, you probably want to go get changed now. Class is gonna start soon," Jack said, glancing at the clock to their left.

Hiccup swallowed nervously, looking down at his left leg, "Oh, um, okay. Um, I'll be there in a minute."

"Alright, see you soon, Hic," Jack left, taking the hint.

The brunette grumbled about the nickname, but didn't pursue the matter. He just didn't have the energy at the moment to combat the older boy's teasing. Hiccup took a moment to gain his bearings and reflect on his findings. During his lunchroom conversation, the brunette had kept a careful watch on the male ghost. He spoke slowly, seeing if the spirit would give him any clues. Each time Hiccup spoke of his father or Dagur's father, those blue eyes lit up and he pointed to himself with his thumb, before pointing towards Jack. The man was either Jack's biological, adoptive, or figurative father. Now that Hiccup thought of it, they did share the same eyes and similar smirks. If this was the case, Hiccup thought it safe to assume that the woman from yesterday, who seemed to be the same age as the man, was Jack's mother. This would explain why the two were hanging around the whitette, but it still left a major question unanswered. Could Jack see them?

Realizing that he had once again lost himself in thought, the brunette shook his head and turned to the task at hand. Hiccup cast a nervous eye about, double-checking that he was alone in his row, before reaching into his backpack and removing the plastic bag containing his gym clothes. The young teen sighed, replacing his shirt before struggling with his prosthetic. It took the boy a few minutes, but eventually he was dressed in a loose t-shirt, knee-length shorts, and one sneaker. Hiccup tried to ignore the pasty color of his freckled legs, the slight height difference between his right and left leg, and the shine of his prosthetic in the artificial lighting. He forced his gaze upwards, thankful that he had remembered to bandage his left leg and cover up the scar tissue. There was really nothing more the brunette could do, so he entered the gym, clinging to the wall and hoping not to be seen. Obviously his wishes were left unanswered and soon the entire class was gawking at the strange piece of metal attached to the new kid's shin. Hiccup did his best to resist grimacing as his new acquaintances approached.

"Whoa, wha' 'appened to yah?" Merida asked, blatantly staring at the artificial appendage.

Hiccup unconsciously clenched his fists, holding them at chest level. He hunched slightly, eyes landing everywhere but on the two curious teens before him.

"I, uh, I…I'd rather not talk about it," he replied, not daring to glance at their reactions.

"Wow, that must be some piece of work. I didn't even notice something was off," Jack cut off whatever Merida was about to say, elbowing her in the side.

Hiccup looked up shyly, feeling lighter when he found no disgust in their gazes, "Yeah, it's exactly the same length as my other leg, but the spring is what really does the trick. Running is still a little awkward at times, but other than that…"

The brunette trailed off, offering a little shrug to finish his statement. Jack grinned, slinging an arm around the shorter boy and the other around Merida. A small smile snuck its way across Hiccup's face. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all? Hiccup did his best to keep up during warm-up laps, but ended up watching Jack and Merida race each other around the gym. Each time they lapped him a chorus of 'Hey Hic' rang out, a momentary lapse in their bickering. Hiccup took this chance to scan the gym, forest eyes searching for ghostly blue. He paused next to the man, leaning against the side of the gym. Hiccup bent over, hands on his knees and bangs obscuring his face, pretending to catch his breath.

"Hi, I'm Hiccup," he whispered, "Could I talk with you?"

"Sure," the man's voice was slightly deeper than Jack's and easily kept pace as Hiccup continued his labored jog, "Nice to meet you Hiccup."

The boy grinned, excited to talk with ghost. He felt back in his element, helping the dead was one thing Hiccup knew he could succeed in.

"It's nice to meet you too, mister…" the teen trailed off, waiting for the man to fill in the blank as a pair of 'Hey Hic's passed by.

"Frost. You can call me Mr. Frost. My wife told me about you yesterday. I must say, I was surprised to see she was right," he chuckled, a smile stretching across his face, "I've never met a child who could see us before."

Hiccup faltered in his step, almost crashing into a small group lapping him. He did his best to squash the feeling of disappointment that threatened to knock him over. Hiccup knew from the start that the chances of finding another who could communicate with the dead were slim, but still…

"You alright there Hiccup?" Mr. Frost questioned, concern and confusion laced through his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he lied, forcing a small smile back onto his face, "So, um, may I ask you some questions, or do you have any requests for me, or–"

The whistle signaling the transition to their next activity sounded, cutting his conversation short.

"I'd love to talk with you some more later Hiccup, but for now you should head back to class, my son's waiting for you," the man spoke quickly, retreating to the wall and ushering the teen to turn around.

Hiccup did so, seeing the read-head and whitette approaching, fighting over who was victorious in their little race. Three rounds of soccer followed. Hiccup happened to be on the winning team once and was always on a team with either Jack or Merida. He never landed a hit on the black and white sphere, but that was nothing new for the brunette. Athletics had never really been his forte and he supposed they never would be. Merida and Jack, on the other hand, really contributed to the games, yet they always seemed to bicker. Hiccup accepted this as normal behavior for the two friends shrugged it off. The students were let off seven minutes early to change and pack up. Most of the males were finished rather quickly, the exception being Hiccup who had to work around his prosthetic. Jack and Merida waited for the small brunette just outside the gym doors, Mr. Frost standing behind his son.

"So, Hic, are you really that bad at soccer or is it…" Jack trailed off, gesturing vaguely towards the other's leg.

Hiccup shook his head, "I've always been this terrible, I couldn't really get any worse."

"I take it you're not a sports guy, then," Jack smirked.

Green eyes rolled as he droned sarcastically caustically, "Oh yeah, bunch of sweaty guys trying to kill each other over a piece of leather? Love it!"

Merida humphed and Hiccup added on, "Or sweaty girls, doesn't matter either way."

The whitette chuckled, "Oh, so you're a sarcastic little bugger under all those freckles."

That only earned Jack another eye roll and a muttered, "Congratulations, someone give the man a prize."

"Ouch, the sass, it's too much," the elder teen clutched at his chest as if wounded.

"Woul' yah stahp yer nonsense Frost? Yer makin a right fool o' yerself," the red-head cut in, punching the jokester in the shoulder.

"Oh Merida, you wound me so!" Jack chuckled as he received another punch, "Okay, okay, I get it. Jeez, you don't have to be so violent."

The ginger rolled her eyes, ignoring the older boy, "So, Hic, where ahr yah off tah?"

"Art," Hiccup responded, jabbing his thumb towards the right.

Jack lit up, "Oh, oh, oh! I'll take him; my next class is down there."

"Alrigh' be meh guest. I got tah stick 'round 'ere fer me next clahss anaway," Merida shrugged, ignoring the furrowed brows of the brunette.

"Um, wait, what?" Hiccup questioned as a long, pale arm wrapped around his shoulders; really, how clingy was this guy?

The bell rang as Jack pulled the younger boy away, waving to Merida, "It's like I said Hic, I'd rather not see you get eaten by that dragon, and from what you told me and Mer, that's a real possibility."

Hiccup shrugged off the offending appendage and stared up at the whitette, brows furrowed in genuine confusion, "But, why do you care?"

Jack seemed a little caught off guard by the question, his grin faltering for a moment, "Um, pretty sure I just told you why, I don't–"

"No, I mean why do you care if Dagur pounds on me at all? You just met me a few hours ago, so why do care?" green eyes searched icy blue.

Hiccup couldn't make heads or tails of this situation. Merida and Jack had done their moral duty, saved him from the bully, and gone beyond the norm by engaging him in conversation. No one had ever wanted to help him before; actually, other people tended to make things worse by joining in on the 'fun'. He was more than grateful to Merida, but he couldn't understand why she and Jack were being so kind to him. It just didn't add up.

A small frown had settled on the whitette's face, looking out of place on his sculpted features, "Why wouldn't we care? Do you expect me and Mer to leave you to that creep? For all we know, he could've been the one to take your leg by the way you described him. I wouldn't leave anyone to that fate, much less a nice kid like you. Is that really so hard to understand?"

Hiccup was about to answer in the affirmative when he felt a large hand force his head down and a small yelp escaped him.

"Shhh. Big, mean, and ugly approaching at ten o'clock," Jack whispered, trying to keep the other boy hidden, "I'd rather not engage that giant if you're right and he does have a knife."

Hiccup just continued to stumble forwards, doing his best not to run into the students in front of him, until the pressure on his head was removed. He stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. Green eyes flitted around, searching for any sign of the terrible visage. Once satisfied the threat was no longer present, he turned his attention back to the whitette.

"Uh, thanks, I guess," he smiled, the color returning to his face.

Jack just waved him off with a grin, "Just doing my job. I'll see you after class, okay? Just wait here for me."

Hiccup nodded slowly, seeing that they had arrived in the art wing, earning a large grin from Jack. He entered the classroom, sending a small wave as the whitette walked off. Hiccup found his seat by the window, thoughts wandering to the events of earlier that day in an attempt to make sense of all that had occurred. A few light jabs at his shoulder brought the brunette back to reality.

"Hi Hiccup, what're you drawing?" the bubbly blonde asked, green eyes staring at him in question.

"Huh?" was his intelligent response, looking down to see that he was doodling, a tall skeletal structure, the particular identity of the figure was unknown to him, so many people had been running through his mind, "uh, no one in particular. So, um, how's it going?"

"Oh, we made the most delicious pies today in Culinary Arts and we started our first project in my sewing class. What about you, have you made any more friends yet? Or explored the town? Oh, ooohhhhh, I know the perfect place to grab a bite. I'll show you and your friends sometime and then I can meet them, oh, and you can meet Flynn, and–" the blonde clasped her hands together in excitement as Hiccup hurriedly erased the pencil marks from the desk.

"Whoa, slow down there Rapunzel, I, uh, I'm not even sure if I have friends yet," he waved his hands in a placating manner as her face fell, "I mean, uh, sure, that sounds great. I mean, I don't know when, but, we should do that at some point, eventually, yeah…"

She brightened immediately as the bell signaled for class to begin. Their first project would be an illustration based on the prompt land, water, and sky. Today would be used for brainstorming. Hiccup and Rapunzel immediately got to work, graphite flying against paper. Rapunzel hummed merrily while she worked, adjusting her position every few minutes to remain comfortable. Hiccup gnawed on his lip in concentration. Small talk passed between the two, Hiccup discovering that Rapunzel had a pet chameleon she sometimes snuck into school and loved to dance. Rapunzel found out that her young friend had a cat and had yet to explore the wooded park a couple blocks from the school. The extended class flew by for both teens and Hiccup found himself enjoying the extra company. Both were caught off guard by the bell signaling the end of the day. Rapunzel waved goodbye enthusiastically, saying something about her friend visiting today so she had to hurry home. Hiccup just smiled and waved her off, shuffling nervously inside the doorway as he waited. Green eyes scanned the crowd for either the whitette or his tormentor. Soon enough a pair of bright blue eyes popped up before him a smug smirk on his face.

"So, you waited after all. Good, Mer would kick my butt if you didn't," he smirked, motioning the brunette forwards.

Hiccup sent him a nervous smile, glancing over the boy's shoulder at his father, "Well, it's like you said, I'd rather not get caught by Dagur."

Jack glanced down at him, "Yeah, about that, you do realize your address is probably in the phonebook and he can look you up. Or follow you home. Or–"

"Yeah, I've thought about that. I figured I'd wait to head home until he did, you know, hide out in the school or something until he leaves. If he ever shows up to my house unannounced, I can just take Toothless and sneak out the back door. Toothless is, uh, he can be quite the effective Dagur repellant," a small chuckle escaped the brunette.

The whitette gave him an inquisitive look, but let the matter drop, "Alright, it looks like you've got this down. Oi, ginger, over here!"

Merida gave him a light punch on the shoulder as she approached the two, "Oh, shu' yer trap ye blahbbin' buffoon. 'Ey Hic, it looks like yah suhvived."

Hiccup offered a small grin, "Thus far, yeah."

"Doncha worry yah wee 'ead, Dagur's already long gone," she smiled and winked.

That earned a real smile from the brunette, "Thanks Merida. I guess I'll be off now. So, uh, I guess I'll talk to you guys later then?"

He watched Mr. Frost nod, mouthing tomorrow as Merida laughed, "Yah bet yer socks we will. Good luck Hiccup! See yah tommorrah!"

Jack ruffled the brunette's hair, earning a grunt and light slap from the boy, "Yeah, catch you later, Hic. Try not to die before tomorrow, kay kid?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and smiled, "Sure thing, Frosty."

He ran off to his bike as an indignant Jack yelled, "Hey, I'm not a snowman."

Hiccup laughed as rode home, wondering what the next day would bring.

**Thanks for reading! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's chapter 6. I own nothing but the plot and hope you enjoy reading!**

Merida grinned as she watched the little brunette dismount his bike, "Oi, Hiccup!"

Startled green eyes flashed towards her, before relaxing into a shy smile. He offered little wave as approached.

"Good morning Merida, What are you doing out here?" He questioned, eyebrows scrunched.

"Waitin' fer ye, now come on then, we go' places tah be," she grinned, grabbing his wrist and running inside.

The boy stumbled along before gaining his footing, "Uh, Merida, you–you know I can walk, right?"

She grinned and ignored him, pulling him through the crowds into their history class where Jack awaited. She also ignored the boy's grumbled "apparently not" as she tugged him over to the whitette.

"Mornin' Jack, look wha' I found!" the red-head gloated, holding up Hiccup's hand as if it were a trophy.

"Oww, um, that, uh, kinda–" the brunette began, but paused as Merida lowered their hands and plopped down in a chair, pulling Hiccup between her and Jack.

The brunette froze and shivered, green eyes wide before clenching shut and mumbling under his breath when they reopened. Merida almost felt a twinge of guilt at the sight of the boy's discomfort. She turned her attention to Jack and flashed a large smile. They hadn't told the freckled teen, but just like everything Jack and Merida did together, they made 'protecting' the younger boy into a competition. It was more fun that way.

"Morning Mer, Hic, what's up?" blue eyes flashed in understanding as another mark was mentally added to Merida's tally.

The two merely shrugged, though while the red-head's was nonchalant, the brunette's seemed almost apologetic. Jack took it in stride, turning to Hiccup with a smirk curling his lips.

"So, Hic, did Dagur force you to the woods yet?"

Merida raised an eyebrow in question, but waited for the brunette's response, "Oh, no, not yet anyway. I mean, I did go to the woods, b-but not because of Dagur. I just, uh, walked Toothless there. Yeah."

"You took your cat on a walk?" the whitette deadpanned, brown eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Hiccup began pulling at his sleeves, "Yeah. Sometimes I think he's more like a dog than a cat…"

The red-head narrowed her eyes, "Tha's one weird beast yah got, I prefer horses meself."

Icy blue orbs rolled, "Oh, not this again. Yes Queen Merida of the Horsedungians, we all submit to your white steed's brilliance."

Merida growled but was caught off by Hiccup's wide green eyes, "You have a horse?"

"Ye bet yer socks! 'is name's Angus an' 'e's tha fastest horse in all o' Burgess," she crowed proudly.

The bell rang as Frost muttered "Yeah, the only horse in Burgess."

Merida stuck out her tongue, really, the boy was just jealous because Angus didn't like him. Now that she thought of it, not many critters liked Jack, with the exception of birds. Merida told the boy as much, earning a giggle from Hiccup, before all three were hushed by their teacher. Merida merely rolled her eyes before chuckling with Jack at the blush that had covered their newest friend. Slight teasing ensued which somehow ended up with an argument between the ginger and whitette, while a bewildered Hiccup tried to figure out if he should try to break it up. The teacher once again intervened with the hollow threat of 'separating' them if they couldn't 'behave'. The two blatantly ignored the authority figure and only quit their squabble when the bell rang.

"So, where yah off tah, Hiccup?" Merida questioned as she grabbed her books, doing her best not to ponder on the torture she would soon be forced to endure.

"Oh, um, engineering. It's, uh, in room 504," he spoke eyes flickering between the two friends.

Merida nodded, ignoring the room number for it meant nothing to her, "Engineering's nahr woodshop if I remembah righ'. I'll take yah, it's nextah mah next class."

Jack smirked, "Oh, bet you can't wait for that, can you Mer."

"Oh shu' yer trap, ye know me mum's intolerable. Sewin', ugh, I can nae string tha' stupid thread through tha' wee needle 'ead. I donnae understan' why anyun woul' wan' tah sew, it's so borin'!" the red-head wailed, flinging her arms into the air in exasperation.

A twinkle shone in those icy blue orbs, "Well, have lots of fun, see ya later!"

Merida stuck out her tongue before motioning the brunette to follow her. He did, stumbling slightly in the crowds. The ginger grabbed his arm to stop him from falling as two rather pompous jocks pushed by, laughing as they did so. She recognized the two bimbos from her adventure-and-pursuits gym class. A wicked grin lit up her face, promising them future pain.

She was shaken from her thoughts by the quiet questioning, "So, uh, Merida, you make sewing sound like such fun. Why'd you take it?"

The sarcasm was clear in the boy's voice, but she still gave a scoff, "Tha' class is torture I swahr. Me mum wan's me tah be a 'proper' lass, bu' I wan' none o' it! She made me take sewin' in exchange for allowin' me tah play sports. Me dad an' I had tah fight 'er tooth an' nail fer tha' but we got it! Bu' still, sewin' is sooooo borin'. I jus' wish she woul' listen tah me more."

"Yeah, tell me about it," he grumbled, before pausing in front of a door, "Ah, I gotta go, so, I, uh, I guess I'll see you later."

He gestured towards the door, offered an awkward wave, and shuffled into the room. Merida quirked an eyebrow, then relaxed and released a chuckle. Hiccup was a strange one indeed, but she found, that's what she liked about him. The red-head's grin only vanished when she remembered what class she was heading to.

Hiccup shook his head as he entered his classroom, trying to rid his mind of stern talks and disappointed stares, that gruff voice rising in shouts of disbelief. No, Hiccup had long since given up on his father listening to him, much less believing him.

"Hey Hiccup, how's it going?" a bright voice shouted.

The young teen glanced up to see Guy waving him over, some sort of contraption laid out on his desk. A small smile tugged at his lips as he walked over. Hiccup set his backpack on the floor, staring at the thing with undisguised curiosity. It was a mixture of metal and some material which looked similar to leather. The leather and metal were interwoven in a straight line across the table with different attachments branching off from it. Hiccup cocked his head, wondering what it could be.

"What are you working on?" he questioned, hands itching to pick the device up and inspect it further.

Guy straightened up and stretched his back, "Oh, this? This is my belt."

"Whoa…what the heck do you use your belt for?" he asked, looking up at the older boy in wonder.

The older teen scratched the back of his head, "Well, you know, um, everything? Yeah, everything. It's really handy."

"How did you make this? What materials did you use and what all does it do?" Hiccup asked, sitting down and staring at the 'belt'.

The rest of class was spent with the two boys discussing and working on the 'belt', which was only a belt in the sense that it sat upon Guy's waist. Hiccup found that, true to the older teen's word, the belt did just about everything. The class period flew by and before either boy realized it, the bell was ringing to signal their departure. Guy left with promises of bringing in his other 'gadgets' to show Hiccup next class on the condition that the younger boy would reciprocate. Hiccup didn't wait long for Merida to appear and the two walked towards the lunch room, meeting the whitette halfway there. Together the trio traversed the hallways, squishing the young brunette between the two taller teens at the passing of Dagur. Hiccup actually managed to eat lunch that day and took his time to observe his new...friends? Could he call them that yet? The brunette wished to, the small aching in his chest confirmed it. He had always been the observer, either watching from afar, or hiding behind a couple of barrels so as to avoid a pummeling. With Jack and Merida, things were different. They would pull him into the conversation, laughing without malicious intent at his feeble attempts at socializing. It was strange, but it made the freckled boy feel warm inside, less hollow. Smiles and laughter fell easily from his lips and time flew like a rocket ship. Soon enough, the trio were heading to the math wing, turning towards different doors.

"Hiccup, where are you going? There's only one Geometry class this hour," Jack asked when the freckled boy said farewell.

The younger boy paused, shifting his weight between his flesh foot and prosthetic, "Oh, ah, I'm not in Geometry, I take Algebra-3-Trig."

The two elder teens stared at him as if he were insane, "Yer takin' Junior math?"

Hiccup just dipped his head in consent.

"Dude, you need to get out more. Yep, it's official, today we head to the woods!" Jack announced, spinning on his heels and pulling Merida along, "See you after class, Freckles."

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow before shrugging and entering his classroom. Those two were weird. Not nerdy weird, or outcast weird, but something Hiccup couldn't quite name. Merida was blunt and boisterous, displaying all her thoughts and emotions without a care as to how they might be received. Not that she was unkind, but the red-head was always forthright with her opinions, unwilling to hide or change based on her surroundings. It was a trait Hiccup had yet to fully grasp, but deeply respected. She remained unfazed by others' comments, well, except for Jack, but that was how the two interacted and were never meant in a harmful way. She was loud, beautiful, and strong. Hiccup couldn't understand why she would want to be anywhere near him. Her relationship with Jack consisted of teasing, laughter, rivalry, and an underlying bond that Hiccup had yet to decipher. Jack was…well, Jack was fun. He always seemed cool and collected, unless he was laughing himself silly at a well-executed prank. Those less observant would call the whitette conceited, but Jack didn't take himself seriously for that. No, the handsome whitette with his chiseled features and subtle muscles was not self-absorbed. Despite his near perfect appearance, most students seemed to ignore Jack. This just added to the brunette's confusion. Combine that with his unusual propensity for giving nicknames and unfounded desire to hang out with Hiccup and the freckled teen found himself justified to label the older teen as weird. Yep, especially when his two elders dragged him off of school grounds once the next bell rang.

"Uh, hey, where are we going?" Hiccup questioned as he did his best not to trip with each teen yanking him onwards by each arm.

"Tah th' woods!" Merida almost sang in glee.

"B-but what about class?" the brunette asked, glancing back at the brick building in alarm.

Jack waved one hand carelessly through the air, "Last block is free period. If you don't have any teachers to visit, you're free to go."

"Then why isn't anyone else leaving?" the brunette challenged, leveling a glare at the older teen.

The whitette chuckled at his friend, "They will be soon, that's why we're getting a head start."

Hiccup continued to stare at the oldest of the trio, trying to determine whether or not he was lying. A mischievous sparkle danced in those icy orbs, though Hiccup could not tell if it was from beating the other students or taking advantage of Hiccup's ignorance. Eventually he chanced a glance at Merida who nodded in agreement. The brunette sighed in surrender and allowed himself to be pulled away from school and towards wherever the two had in mind.

Jack's grin grew and Hiccup sent Mr. Frost a questioning glance. The apparition merely shrugged when the trio veered to the right. It turned out they were heading into the literal woods, not some shop or café named as such. They continued to drag the small boy until they reached a small lake surrounded on three sides by rock. It reminded him of a lake back in Berk, secluded by the rest of the forest like a secret cove. The though brought a smile to the young brunette's face.

"What is this place?" he asked, slowly turning as he took in his surroundings.

Jack smirked, pointing to himself with his thumb, "This, my dear freckled friend, is my lake."

The smirk disappeared as Merida pushed him over, "Yah jus' full o' hot air tahday, aren't ye Frost. Nah, this here be Overlan' lake."

The whitette returned the favor, off-balancing his friend, "And my middle name is Overland, so it's my lake!"

"Donnae be stupid young Frost. Ye know the story o' this lake well as I do," she paused and turned to Hiccup, holding out her hands for dramatic effect, "They say, tha' long ago, a boy wa' skatin' on th' lake in winter. Some say he wa' skatin' with his sistah, some say his girlfriend, but all know he wa' the only one to fall beneath tha ice. The icy wa'er froze 'im to tha bone an' he was no more. Some say 'is body is still down thar, preserved forevahr at tha bottom of th' lake. They named it Overlan' aftah 'is family name," she finished grinning, enjoying Hiccup's reaction.

Jack scowled as Hiccup scanned their surroundings once more, "Oh, come on Mer. You know that's just a story to keep the kids off the ice in the winter. They're afraid of someone being stupid enough to fall in."

That caused Hiccup to pause and turn his attention back to the whitette, "Jack, you don't skate on the lake, do you?"

Jack rolled his eyes as Mr. Frost nodded silently, "I do have half a brain. I can tell when the ice is thick enough."

A lightning bolt of fear lanced through the brunette, "That's really dangerous Jack. Ice can be misleading, especially across such a large surface."

Merida nodded along, "Listen tah the boy, Frost. 'e's a smart one, remember?"

"Loosen up you two and have a little fun. I'm careful," he shrugged, an easy grin resting on his face.

"No, Jack, it's really dangerous. Not many things can kill a Berkian, myself excluded, but falling into frigid waters is one of them," Hiccup spoke quietly, but urgently, rubbing his arms nervously.

Silence pervaded the small cove until Jack spoke, "Jeez, Hic, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Wide green eyes shot up, "Oh, uh, you don't need to be. I didn't, well, I didn't really know her when she was alive."

"Oh," Jack replied quietly, for once at a loss for words.

After another few moments of strained silence, Merida pushed the whitette over, "Way tah make things awkward, Frosty."

"Wha? How was I supposed to know? And stop calling me Frosty, Princess," he pushed her back and all three relaxed as the two elder teens began wrestling.

Soon they pulled away from one another, Merida the victor, and started climbing the rocks, "Comon Hic, tha view is great from up 'ere!"

"Um, I'll just stay here, on solid ground, where I'm less likely to slip and fall to my death or loss of a second limb. You two go have fun," Hiccup replied sitting down and holding his legs to his chest.

"Suit yourself," Jack called as he continued to scale the sides of the cove.

The brunette tilted his head to the side and rested it on his knees. A small smile crossed his lips as Mr. Frost came to sit beside him. He offered a small wave which was returned enthusiastically.

"Hello, Hiccup. I assume you have some questions for me?" he questioned, crossing his legs.

"Hi Mr. Frost, and yeah, I do. First, do you know why you're still here? I mean, uh, not here specifically, I mean, I have a good idea on why you're with Jack, but, you know, here like on Earth, instead of…I'll just stop talking now," he sighed, willing away the red threatening to rise to his cheeks.

The ghost chuckled, "Yeah, actually. Our unfinished business is straight forward. Our…passing was pretty sudden and unexpected. Well, I guess that's not unusual, but we left behind two kids. My wife and I were both only children, so the only place left was the nearest orphanage. My kids lost their parents, their home, and their friends overnight. We couldn't just leave. So, until we know our kids are taken care of, we're sticking around."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry, but I don't know how I could help you with that…" Hiccup trailed off with a troubled frown.

"No you've helped plenty already. My wife and I aren't very good at interacting with the living world, so it's a real comfort to know that, should anything happen, we know someone who can call 911 or something of that sort. So, thank you Hiccup," he paused at the boy's smile, "though, there are other ghosts around, those who could use a little human help. Could I send them your way?"

"Yeah, of course," Hiccup nodded vigorously then thought better and amended his statement, "Just, not during school."

"I assumed as much, and one more thing before my son finishes his climb. I don't know what all your experiences with ghosts entail, but not all of them are friendly or safe. Be careful and think before you leap, alright?" he asked, concern weaving into his deep tone.

Hiccup nodded slowly in answer. He had yet to meet a truly malevolent ghost. Grumpy? Confused? Scared? Sure. That's when spirits, just like living people, tended to lash out. Hiccup didn't believe that any of them were evil, just misunderstood. He wouldn't ignore the warning; misunderstood didn't mean they weren't dangerous.

"Hey Hic! Come here! There's a super cool cave over here with lots of weird critters in it!" Jack called, knowing the brunette's love for animals.

"Coming!" Hiccup called back before turning back to the ghost, "Thanks for talking with me, Mr. Frost."

The boy hopped up and ran off, his gait just the slightest bit skewed. The ghost grinned as he stood up to follow his ever adventurous son. He couldn't suppress the smile that stretched across his face at the sight of the three teens disappear behind the rocks.

"No, thank you Hiccup, for coming to Burgess."

**Thanks for reading! This will probably be my last update for a while, because school starts up again on Wednesday (if we don't get another snow day) and my work load tends to be a bit heavy. Just so you know I'm not abandoning this story, I just won't be able to work on it -_- Stay warm and cozy! =)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi! I'm back with another chapter =) Sorry it's taken so long, but school keeps me pretty busy. It'll probably take me a similar, if not longer, amount of time to get the next chapter out, so I apologize for the cliff-hanger ending -_-' Anywho, I hope you enjoy reading it! **

The passing of two weeks brought with it autumn winds and Hiccup's first 'visitor'. It was a chilly Friday afternoon and the brunette was thankful for his added layers as he biked home. The week had been nothing less than exhausting: a math test on Wednesday, his first art project due on Thursday, and earlier that day he had to turn in his catapult in engineering. Most of his class used a modified version of a trebuchet, while Hiccup took more inspiration from a…well…it was sort of like a sling shot, but not quite, the schematics were altered for larger projectiles and….Hiccup was off on another internal tangent. The teen was completely absorbed in his thoughts, riding on autopilot across the familiar sidewalk. He would have appreciated more time for his test runs, to work out any bugs within the machine, but Guy had begged–er, offered–to look over his design before he turned it in. The freckled teen shook his head, still unaccustomed to someone finding interest in his work. Rapunzel was like that too, overly enthusiastic about his menial and often criticized hobbies. It was weird, but nice. Hiccup had recently discovered that his two senior mentors were friends and Rapunzel was still determined to take him and his other friends to "the perrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect place" to grab a bite. She refused to reveal the name of the establishment and Hiccup didn't bother trying to wrestle it from her. Friends. It was still a foreign concept and felt strange upon his tongue. However, at this point Hiccup was pretty sure that the relationship he held with Guy, Rapunzel, Merida, and Jack was what most people considered friendship. It was hard to believe, but then again, he didn't really have anything to compare it to…

So involved was the boy in his musings that he almost failed to notice the elderly woman before him, "Oi boy, be you tha lad the Frosts spoke of?"

"WHAAAA!" Hiccup screamed, jerking the steering wheel of his bike harshly to the right to avoid crashing into the woman.

The small metal bicycle fell to the side, launching its rider head-first into the wooden fence encircling the yard to his right. The boy grunted as he crumpled to the grass, curling into a protective ball. The brunette kept still as he assessed his injuries. Bruising on the right hip and forearm, light scrapes down the entire length of his right side and his left forearm. Possible bruising along his calves and knees. Ringing ears and slightly blurry vision. Nothing serious. Slowly, Hiccup stood up, hissing at the ache and sting of his new injuries and the pain brought about by the jostling of his prosthetic. He grimaced as he turned to see if the elderly woman was unharmed, while gingerly grasping his right arm. At least he didn't injure his favored arm. Now that would've made the coming week a real pain.

"Haha! Either yer the clumsiest lad tha ever did live, or them Frosts were right. Can ye see me child?" a scratchy voice cackled with glee.

Hiccup then realized that the elderly woman was quite small with an abnormally large nose and ears. And she was floating…oh.

"Y-you're a ghost?" he stuttered, flinching as the new cuts on his face stretched with each word.

The woman's amber bug-eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Do yah really need tah ask?"

"Ah, no, sorry, I-I just wasn't expecting you t–and, uh, well, it just really caught me off guard is all…sorry," the brunette mumbled, a light blush painting his cheeks.

She maintained her glare for a moment more before bursting into laughter, "Haha! Donncha worry about it child, yah don't seem too obnoxious tah me. 'specially from wha those two Frosts said–nice people those Frosts–I knew I could come to yah."

Hiccup offered a nervous smile as he bent down to retrieve his bike, oh how his side ached, "Ah yeah, I'll try to help you in any way I can."

"Great, let's get to it laddie!" she grinned gleefully showing a surprising lack of teeth as she tapped her gnarled fingers together.

Hiccup experimentally hoisted one leg over his bike, immediately regretting the decision, and decided to walk the rest of the way home, "Sure, let me just, ah, head back to my house and we'll talk about it there. You know, where people won't be staring at me like I'm crazy."

"Hahaha, don't worry laddie, ye'r no crazier than me!" the woman cackled, head thrown back and white hair falling past her shoulders.

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow before deadpanning and muttering, "Oh, thanks, that makes me feel so much better."

"Ye'r welcome, now come on! You don't keep yer elders waitin'!" she cried flying above him with a crooked smile.

The brunette nodded, but continued limping at his slow pace, doing his best to ignore the aching from his side and leg.

Eventually, the duo reached the Haddock household. Hiccup leaned his bike against the large, tarp-covered couch that still lay outside due to his own weakness and his father's busy schedule. The freckled teen rummaged in his pocket and took out his house key. The old woman waited patiently, floating on her back and commenting on the nice weather. Hiccup held open the door and ushered the ghost inside before following her and locking the door.

"Toothless! I'm back and we have a guest, so behave!" Hiccup shouted as he stumbled around some boxes that had yet to be unpacked.

An acidic pair of green eyes peered from the top landing, black for arched in a territorial manner. A low growl emanated from the feline as the ghost followed his human up the steps. Toothless didn't like the dead. Spirits had no right barging into _his_ house and bothering _his_ human.

"Toothless, come on bud, lighten up. She's friendly enough," Hiccup attempted to placate his friend.

The feline narrowed his gaze, leaping onto his shoulder and wrapping his tail around a freckled neck in a gentle, but possessive, manner. The message was clear.

"I's alrigh' little kittih. I mean 'im no harm," the woman spoke seriously before turning her attention back to the boy, "Ye got quite the protectah, lad, ye'r very fortunate."

Hiccup smiled, offering a small scratch between black, furry ears, "Yeah, I'm lucky to have him."

The woman nodded solemnly then released a wild cackle, "Now, let's ge' down tah business!"

Hiccup chuckled lightly, entering his room and dropping his backpack in the corner. Toothless refused to leave his perch as the brunette dug through his drawer and fished out his Book of Spirits. Or, Binder of Spirits, but Hiccup preferred the first title. He plopped on his bed, pencil in hand and flipped through the pages to find some blank paper. The woman decided to sit cross-legged in the air.

"So, um…I'm Hiccup, what's your name?" he began, graphite already running across the page to capture the woman's features.

"Ye can call me Whittler, I died las' year, early June," she responded with a light smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

The brunette jotted down some notes, green orbs flitting between the woman and the paper, "Okay, Ms. Whittler–"

"Nah, just Whittler'll do."

"…Okay, Whittler, do you have any idea why you're still here, or–" he began only to be cut off once more.

She nodded fervently, "I know exactly why Ahm here."

Hiccup waited a moment for her to continue before asking, "Okay, do you want to tell me?"

"I donnae know. Are ye trust worthy?" she questioned, leaning in towards his face.

The freckled teen jerked backwards and cringed as Toothless released a warning hiss, "E-excuse me?"

Whittler trailed her bug eyes over the young boy, one hand scratching her chin in scrutiny, "Alrigh' Ah'll tell yah!"

Hiccup released a breath as the woman retreated, "O-okay."

"Ye see, boy, I didn't have much contact with me family fer many a year and we were nay very close. When I died, they left me pride and glory in shambles. I canno' rest knowin' my poor babies are lyin' abandoned in th' woods, with no' even a monkey to care fer 'em," she cried, pointing towards Hiccup's window.

"Um, did you just say 'babies'?" Hiccup questioned, eyebrow quirked in confusion.

"Yes, me life's work is all alone with nae a soul to apprecia' them," she exclaimed, clearly distressed.

"Um, what is it you did for work?" the freckled teen questioned in a soft tone, hopping not to agitate her further.

"Why, it's in me name! I'm a whillter! A wood carver, lad, and all me works been rottin' in the forest," she finished, arms hanging limp at her sides.

Green eyes widened in understanding, "Okay, so you want me to go retrieve your carvings from the woods?"

She nodded vigorously, "Righ'! An' give 'em tah people who'll treat 'em nice. I can show ye righ' now!"

Whittler jumped up and let her feet settle on the floor. She turned around to face the boy, amber eyes shining in excitement. Hiccup stumbled after her with a wince, nearly dropping his binder in the process.

"W-wait just a minute! My dad should be here real soon and if I'm not here he'll–" the boy was cut off by the sound of the front door opening then slamming shut.

Hiccup froze, listening as heavy thumps hurried up the steps. Hiccup was sure that, despite his hulking mass, Stoick could easily beat any member of Burgess's track team. A moment later and the door shook from the blow of his father's hand.

"Uh, you can come in dad, it's not locked," the brunette called, dropping his binder and kicking it underneath the bed, suppressing a grimace at the movement.

Whittler grumbled as the Mr. Haddock entered his son's room, moving out of the way so as not to be walked through–a rather unpleasant sensation from what Hiccup heard. A pair of forest green eyes watched her movement before snapping back to the giant looming just within the doorway. Stoick's eyes narrowed as he noticed a distinct lack of anything attention-worthy where his son's eyes traveled.

Hiccup could see those bulky shoulders tensing in preparation to reprimand, "So, uh, dad, what did you want?"

The distraction proved successful as large shoulders relaxed and Stoick's face brightened ever so slightly, "Ah, I wanted tah tell you tha' I got a call from me old friend Oswald!"

_uh oh_

"I forgo' tah tell ye he lives around here. Anyway he just got back from a business trip and wanted tah stop by and say hello. So he and his son–ye remembah Dagur, don't cha boy?–will be commin' tomorrow. Dagur even offered tah help us finish unpackin', isn't tha considerate of the lad? He seems tah have matured since las' we saw 'im," Stoick broke off with a nod of approval.

_nonononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononooooooooooooooooooooooooooo–_

"Hiccup, lad, did ya hear meh?" the man grumbled, resisting the urge to shake the fragile boy.

The freckled teen snapped his head up, meeting his father's gaze, "Uh, yeah dad, yeah, I…I heard you. Um, that's uh, definitely something. You–you see, funny thing really, I maybe, actually, already, kind of have plans with my friends tomorrow so–"

A thick, bushy eyebrow raised above the man's hairline, "You 'ave plans?"

Pushing down a pang of indignation at his father's disbelief–Hiccup still couldn't quite believe it himself–the teen straightened and gave a curt nod before blowing the bangs out of his face, "Yes, actually. You see, Rapunzel has been wanting to give me a tour of Burgess since my first day here and Merida and Jack agreed to come so, yeah. I already have plans."

Stoick, though normally true to his name, seemed a little shocked by the news, "You really 'ave plans."

"Yeah, that's what I just said," Hiccup grabbed his arm and began rubbing it nervously, berating himself for snarking at his father.

The older man either didn't care or didn't notice, "You got _friends_?"

A strange mixture of skepticism and elation filled the deep voice as normally squinted eyes opened wide to reveal hopeful aventurine orbs. Hiccup flinched minutely. He tried to remind himself that he would have been just as shocked had someone told him the same news a month ago. Really, who could have foreseen Hiccup the Useless making friends? Apparently not his father.

"Yes dad, friends. Rapunzel said she would pick me up tomorrow. I would've told you earlier, but we only just finalized our plans today," Hiccup did his best to keep the strain of hurt out of his voice, pausing and biting his lip when his father failed to respond, "Dad?"

The older man seemed to snap out of some sort of trance, before running up to his boy and lifting him by the shoulders. Hiccup released a startled shriek as his foot left the floor and the room blurred together as Stoick swung him around. Toothless jumped back with his hackles raised.

"This is wonderful Hiccup! Ye finally found some friends! Aftahr all these years!" the man released a chuckle, setting down his sore, disheveled son.

The freckled teen waited a moment to regain his balance before turning back to the chortling giant, "So, I can still go?"

"O' course!" he bellowed, but after a moment his face fell, "Bu' Dagur seemed so excited abou' seein' ye again. Oh well, I'll jus' let 'im know ye got plans. I'm sure the lad'll understand!"

Hiccup nodded vigorously, greatly relieved by his father's reaction.

Stoick nodded in return, a grin plastered to his face, "Alri'ghy then. I brough' pizza home fer dinner, it's on the countahr in the kitchen."

A small smile tugged at the brunette's lips as he shifted nervously and gestured vaguely about his room, "Okay, I'll be down in a minute. I have to–er–clean up some stuff first."

The giant red-head nodded once more, turning swiftly and making his way out the door. As he left the room a small whispered "friends" escaped his lips, thick head shaking back and forth in delighted disbelief. Hiccup's tensed shoulders sagged as the door slammed shut. He turned around and flopped onto his bed, releasing a large lungful of air. He did it. He escaped a run-in with Dagur…so why was there a small ache in his chest? Hiccup lifted his face from the comforter as a small weight silently padded up to his head. A soft meow escaped Toothless to gain his boy's attention.

Chapped lips pulled back to reveal crooked teeth in a lopsided grin, "Hey Bud, guess we're off the hook, huh?"

A light purr blossomed from the feline's chest. Acid green eyes narrowed in agreement as Toothless rubbed his head against Hiccup's.

"I guess we won' be leavin' anah time soon," Whittler sighed, floating over to the bed.

Hiccup bobbed his head apologetically, lifting himself up to a sitting position, "Yeah, sorry about that. Maybe you can show me your work tomorrow night? After I come back and Dagur is gone?"

The woman nodded with only slight irritation, "I've waited ovah a year, one more day won't harm me none. Now, run along dearie, ye could use some meat on those bones o' yer's."

"Thanks Whittler, I guess we'll see you tomorrow," the boy waved as the ghost nodded and phased through his window.

The freckled teen stood and stretched. Toothless followed him, jumping off the mattress and pawing at the floor beneath it.

Forest green eyes wandered to the cat's antics, widening in realization, "Oh, yeah. Thanks Toothless. I don't want to leave that laying around."

Stick-like arms reached under the bed and retrieved the ever-growing binder. After this treasure was stowed away, the brunette made his way downstairs, Toothless at his feet. After feeding the feline, Hiccup grabbed a couple slices of pizza, completed some of his homework, horsed around with his furry friend, and then went to bed a little early, hopping to have plenty of extra time to prepare the nextday. He couldn't wait to see what the morning light would bring.

Or the almost afternoon light. Hiccup scrambled out of his covers, earning a small hiss from Toothless as the feline was thrown from the comforts of the warm sheets. The lime green numbers of his alarm clock read 11:52 am, which meant Rapunzel should arrive in a little over half an hour. The bubbly blonde was very excited for the long-awaited outing and wanted to have plenty of time to show Hiccup around Burgess before retrieving Jack and heading to dinner. The brunette ran through the day's schedule in his brain as he stumbled into the bathroom, knowing he wouldn't have enough time for a bath if he wanted to eat anything before his friends arrived. Rapunzel, Guy, and the notorious Flynn would arrive at the Haddock household somtime around 12:30 pm. From there they would travel to the Dunbroch residence and borrow Merida. Jack had work until 3:00 pm, so they would traverse the streets of Burgess until then. Rapunzel planned to take the odd group to an as-of-yet-unknown restaurant, after which they would continue around the small town or head into the surrounding woods. Hiccup just hoped that Dagur and Oswald would be gone before he returned home. After a small breakfast of toast and jam, the freckled teen hurried back to his room, spending fifteen minutes trying to figure out what to wear. He settled for a large, green and brown stripped long sleeve shirt and blue jeans. He was loading his pockets with his cell phone and wallet when he heard the doorbell. Hiccup beamed as he raced down the steps, almost acquainting himself with the floor a few times in his haste, before skidding to a halt in the hallway leading to the front door. His father blocked the small entryway, opening the door for their guests.

"Oswald! It's good tah see ye! How've ye been?" Hiccup's heart sank as a man his height, but more than three times his width entered their home.

The black beard matched Stoick's in volume, but his face was much rounder, giving him an almost jolly appearance, "Oh, Stoick. It's been too long! I'm righ' as rain I am. How're ye an' yer boy?"

It was then that the cogs in Hiccup's brain began to turn once more, snapping the young teen out of his paralysis. He paid no attention as his father ushered the Oswald into their living room, instead starting to turn on his heels to retreat out the back door. Just as the brunette was about to bolt, a rush of air passed his cheek, followed by a dull thunk next his ears. Hiccup whirled about face in another attempt for freedom when a second object flew his way, a brief flash of silver, before the knife imbedded itself into the wall just above his left shoulder. Hiccup barely had time to register that the knife had snagged his shirt and therefore pinning him to the wall when shadow appeared before him. The freckled teen gulped, his throat suddenly dry, as he lifted his gaze to stare into dark jade orbs. Instinctively, Hiccup flattened himself against the wall, trying to appear as small and invisible as possible. Those eyes were lit with that same deranged light as well as that other thing from before. The thing Hiccup had no name for, but made his paling skin crawl. The older teen loomed over him, a dark smile twisting across the long face. Hiccup couldn't contain his squeak of alarm as the other's face lowered far too close for comfort. The brunette wrinkled his nose in displeasure when the elder teen released a breathy chuckle. It smelled rancid and metallic.

Dagur's nose was but a few centimeters from his prey, delighting in the delicious fear and sheer panic rolling off of the younger boy as he slapped one hand against the wall beside that freckled face.

"Hello Hiccup."

**Thanks for reading! That's it for now. Again, sorry to break it off here, but hey, we got our first active ghost case and the return of Dagur all in one chapter, so I hope that makes up for it a bit. If you have any questions, comments, critiques, etc., just leave a review and I'll respond in the next chapter. And a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed thus far! I read over them while I type to keep me focused/motivated =) Quick side note about Merida's, Whittler's, and Stoick's accents, I find it a little hard to differentiate between them, so any help with that would be greatly appreciated. I seem to have rambled a bit, so I'll leave off with a thank you and see you next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi! I'm back with chapter 8. Sorry for the long wait, but school is killer. I should actually be writing an essay right now, but I really wanted to post this, because the Frostyemerald/PhageChildon found this story and likes it and omg that made me sooooooo happy I cannot express it in words! So yes, here is the next chapter. I had some trouble with it, mostly due to my inability to write about more than 3 characters interacting simultaneously. So, sorry for how it turned out and if somebody didn't get enough screen time, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Oh, I also noticed that the line of asterisks I put in to denote a change in perspective or time were cut out after posting each chapter, so I apologize for any confusion that brought. I'll try putting the lines in from now on. Should I go back and put lines in for the other chapters, or leave them be? Oops, I ranted again, without further ado, I own nothing but the plot. **

"Jaaaaaack!"

The whitette snapped his attention back to the small brunette before him, his eyes having wandered to the clock. Five minutes. Just five more minutes and his shift would be over.

"You keep zoning out! How are we supposed to play if you won't pay attention," Sonny pouted while Jamie nodded in agreement.

Jack sighed, running one hand through his white locks before looking down at his hand, "Um, you got any threes Monty?"

"Go Fish," the blond said quietly, pushing up his glasses with a small smile.

He picked a card up from the pile set between the four players, placing the king in his hand. Usually, Jack was more than happy to play with the children during his shift. It was his 'job' to watch over the play-area and keep the kids out of trouble while their parents roamed the store. Today, though, the teen was looking forward to something. Every other weekend he would head to The Tooth Palace to help out and earn a few extra bucks, which he did last Saturday. Sometimes, Merida would stop by on his free week and the two would catch a movie or head to the woods. This time, Hiccup would be joining them along with Guy and two teens Jack didn't really know. He was bouncing in his seat in excitement and couldn't keep his attention on the card game. A light tinkling of bells filled the shop, signaling that customers had arrived or left. The clock read 2:57 pm.

"C'mon, Frost is jus' over 'ere," Merida's voice floated through the store.

Jack jumped up, grabbed little Sophie who had been hopping in a circle around the play-area for the past fifteen minutes, and handed her his cards, "Here Sophie, I gotta go, so it's your job to beat their butts, alright?"

The tiny blonde just giggled and plopped down in his vacated seat. Three pairs of eyes watched him curiously.

"Where're you going Jack?" Jamie questioned, setting down his cards.

Before Jack could answer, Sonny cut in, "He's ditching us for kids his own age."

A smirk stretched across his pale face, "I'm not ditching you guys. I'm leaving you in the oh-so capable hands of Bunny! So, if you need anything, just go bother the Kangaroo."

A distinctly angry, Australian voice echoed through the store, "I heard that you bloody Snowflake!"

The children giggled, nodding their heads in understanding and waved goodbye to their favorite babysitter, just as a mass of red curls rounded the corner.

"'ello Jack, how ahr ya?" she questioned, offering a smile to his charges.

"Ready to go!" he answered, stretching his arms up as the rest of their group walked into view.

Hiccup was staring about the shop, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. A black cat was curled about his shoulders, tail flicking back and forth. It sported a fake leg as well, of similar design to the freckled boy's. Beside him bounced a tall blonde with bright green eyes. Jack was sure he had seen her before, but couldn't match a name to her face. Guy stood next to a man around Jack's height with brown hair and a short beard who looked a little bored. Once the group came closer, however, the whitette noticed something was amiss.

"Hey Hic," he called earning the attention his attention, "What happened to your shirt?"

The younger teen glanced down, seeing the small tear by his shoulder, stained a dark-brownish color. The brunette paled, his freckles becoming more noticeable as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, uh, that, well, you see–" he began, stumbling through his words.

Guy came to his rescue, saying mater-of-factly, "It's probably from the knife."

Hiccup smacked his own forehead as Merida and Jack turned towards the younger teen, speaking simultaneously, "What!"

By this point, the strange group had gained the children's interest, "Is something wrong Jack?"

"N-nothing's wrong, everything's fine. I just, uh, I just got a surprise this morning, that's all," Hiccup spoke quickly, hands moving up and down in what was meant to be a placating gesture.

Two pairs of blue eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Yeah, Sonny, nothing's wrong. I'll see you later, okay Squirt?"

The young girl huffed, pushing against Jack's leg as her brother laughed. The whitette waved goodbye as the group turned towards the exit. As they were passing the cashier Jack paused. A tall, dark-skinned male with long, gray hair tied back in a braid narrowed his green eyes at his coworker.

"Hey Bunny, I gotta hit the streets. The lives of the children are now in your fluffy paws!" Jack spoke in a mock-serious tone, even adding a little bow before bounding after his friends.

Aster bit back the obscenity that should not be yelled in a children's toy store and settled for grumbling under his breath. He wondered for the umpteenth time whether or not he could ever get used to living with that kid.

* * *

Once the group was outside of North's Workshop, it was time for proper introductions and explanations. Hiccup found himself between Rapunzel and Jack as he introduced the two.

"Uh, Jack meet Rapunzel and Flynn. Flynn and Rapunzel – Jack," the freckled teen gestured back and forth between the three.

Rapunzel shook Jack's hand enthusiastically, "It's a pleasure to meet you Jack!"

"Uh, yeah, you too," the whitette answered as he retracted his arm, rolling around to readjust it into its proper socket – the blonde was much stronger than she appeared.

Flynn's grip was firmer, but his shake was much calmer than Rapunzel's. The two recognized a mischievous twinkle in the other's eye, causing matching smirks to grow upon their faces.

Hiccup ran his fingers nervously through Toothless's fur, wondering if it was a good idea for those two to meet. Well, there was no point in worrying about it; it was too late for that. The youngest group member started to gesture towards his engineering friend, but Jack was way ahead of him.

The two males clasped hands, "Guy! How's it going? I haven't seen you in ages."

The elder teen shrugged, "Pretty much the same, except I've got a little more space and a little less noise. How're the kids?"

"Trouble," Jack grinned before turning to face Hiccup.

"Oi, now tha' tha's ovah, ye can tell us wha' happened to yah," Merida demanded, arms placed firmly on her hips, left foot tapping impatiently.

Hiccup shuffled anxiously from foot to metal leg and back, thinking back to the events of earlier while five pairs of eyes waited for his response.

_Hiccup barely had time to register that the knife had snagged his shirt and was therefore pinning him to the wall when a shadow appeared before him. The freckled teen gulped, his throat suddenly dry, as he lifted his gaze to stare into dark jade orbs. Instinctively, Hiccup flattened himself against the wall, trying to appear as small and invisible as possible. Those eyes were lit with that same deranged light as well as that other thing from before. The thing Hiccup had no name for, but made his paling skin crawl. The older teen loomed over him, a dark smile twisting across the long face. Hiccup couldn't contain his squeak of alarm as the other's face lowered far too close for comfort. The brunette wrinkled his nose in displeasure when the elder teen released a breathy chuckle. It smelled rancid and metallic._

_ Dagur's nose was but a few centimeters from his prey, delighting in the delicious fear and sheer panic rolling off of the younger boy as he slapped one hand against the wall beside that freckled face._

_ "Hello Hiccup" the older teen almost purred, eliciting a whimper from the freckled boy._

_ The brunette twisted his head to the left in an attempt to increase the space between the deranged teen and himself. If Dagur sounded this pleased to see Hiccup, he must have planned something truly horrific. It must be a punishment for evading him this long. At that thought, the brunette swore his heart stopped, green eyes clenching shut in preparation for whatever torture he'd be subjected to this time. Hiccup nearly jumped out of his skin when the older teen howled._

_ "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRG!" he shouted, pushing away from the wall and grasping at his ankle._

_ Jade eyes met acid green for but a moment before a black paw sliced down the other's nose, crimson pooling in three slanted lines. Dagur roared once more, throwing a punch at the small feline. Toothless hissed as he dodged, dashing through the red-head's legs and adding another trail of scratches down the other's calf. Dagur bolted after the black devil, knowing his prey was still trapped against the wall. _

_ As the two figures disappeared up the steps a loud call of "Damn you Night Fury!" rang throughout the house. Forest green eyes watched their retreat, small hands fisted by his rapidly pounding heart. Crashes and yowls could be heard from the floor above. Hiccup tried to take a few steadying breaths. His knees felt weak, neither real nor fake leg doing much to support his weight. The young teen thanked the gods for Toothless once again, running a trembling hand through his hair. A timid knock at the doorway brought the small teen back to reality, another crash from upstairs and a string of curses following. Hiccup flinched, lifting his gaze to meet wide dark-chocolate orbs. _

_Brown hair fell to the side as the older teen cocked his head in confusion, "I-Is that a knife?"_

_Hiccup glanced down to his left, seeing the silver blade that pinned his thankfully loose shirt to the wall. Ignoring Guy's question, the freckled teen grasped the wooden handle in his right hand and pulled. It didn't budge. With a huff and a grumble, Hiccup pushed away from the wall, ripping his shirt in the process, and stumbled over to Guy. The senior had paused just inside the doorway, unsure whether or not the younger brunette needed help. Still somewhat unsteady on his footing, Hiccup floundered onto his friend as another crash boomed from above. A large, tanned hand steadied him as chocolate eyes glanced warily upwards, mouth opening to ask more questions. _

_"Hi Guy, thanks for picking me up," Hiccup rushed to say, all but pulling the older teen towards the door before turning to the men in the living room and yelling, "Bye dad, see you later!"_

_Hiccup hurried out the doorway, almost running into the tall blonde who was walking up the driveway, "Oh, hi Hiccup. We heard some noises from the car and–"_

_"Hi Rapunzel!" the freckled boy squeaked, sorry for interrupting the older girl, "I was wondering, uh, would it be okay if I brought Toothless, my cat?"_

_Her head cocked to the side, brows knitting together as a shout of "I'LL MOUNT YOUR FURRY HEAD ON MY WALL!" and a bout of maniacal laughter echoed from the top floors. The older teens paled considerably as Hiccup stumbled around the side of the house, just below the bathroom window._

_"Was that Dagur?" Rapunzel uttered in horror as Guy hurried to follow his freckled friend._

_Hiccup gave a curt nod before cupping hands around his mouth and releasing a meow. Within five seconds a ball of black fur jumped from the window ledge and landed in the outstretched arms of the small brunette. Hiccup staggered back, thrown off balance by the sudden weight, then turned and ran back towards Rapunzel with Guy on his heels._

_"Yeah, that's Dagur. So, can I bring Toothless? I don't really feel comfortable leaving him here when Dagur's around," he spoke quickly, eyes darting between the blonde and the house, waiting for Dagur to figure out that his prey was no longer inside._

_Rapunzel clamped her mouth shut and nodded, ushering the two to the white car waiting in the driveway, "Sure. We should probably go now."_

_A small white car waited in the driveway, the front windows rolled down to reveal the curious, yet slightly annoyed, visage of Flynn Rider. The brunette's questioning gaze wandered between the hurried movements of his girlfriend as she opened the front passenger door and the small freckled boy gently pushed to the back seats by Guy. His eyes widened upon seeing the ball of black fur nestled against the boy's chest._

_"Whoa, hold on, is that a cat?" Flynn demanded, twisting back to stare at the supposed feline._

_Rapunzel rolled her eyes, "Yes, I said it was okay. We need to leave now, okay?"_

_All it took was one glimpse of those large green eyes to know that the blonde wouldn't budge on the matter, so the man started the vehicle and pulled out, grumbling, "Fine, but it better not scratch the upholstery, or get its fur everywhere, or–"_

_"It'll be fine, see? He's just curled up in Hiccup's lap, he's not even touching your precious baby," Rapunzel teased, poking the tall brunette in the side before shooting a reassuring glance Hiccup's way._

_The freckled boy missed the gesture, too busy checking over Toothless for any sign of injury. The feline rolled his eyes but allowed his boy to finish the inspection, finding not a scratch on his furry friend. Hiccup sighed in relief, hugging Toothless close to his chest as his heart rate slowly returned to normal. That was definitely not what he needed first thing in the morning._

_Guy, having stayed quiet up until now, decided to get some answers while Rapunzel distracted her boyfriend from yet another animal invading his car, "Are you alright Hiccup?"_

_The brunette turned to the older teen, head bobbing in the affirmative. Guy cocked his head to the side, not bothering to move the brown locks slightly obscuring his vision._

_"What happened back there? What was Dagur doing in your house and what was with those knives?" he questioned, catching the attention of the two lovebirds._

_Hiccup cleared his throat nervously as three pairs of eyes locked onto him. He was use to the Guy's and Rapunzel's inquisitive stares, but Flynn was brand new and made the younger teen uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, adjusting his hold on Toothless who was twisting in his arms to see if these strangers were threats._

_"You see, um, Dagur wasn't supposed to be there till later–" he began, but was cut off._

_"Dagur? You mean that psycho with the blue tattoos?" Flynn asked as he stopped at a red light._

_Hiccup nodded and Flynn sent him an incredulous look, "Why was he coming to your house in the first place?"_

_"Well, my dad is friends with his dad and Dagur decided to tag along for the visit," he paused as Toothless decided to climb atop his shoulders, curling his tail around his boy's right arm while sniffing at the torn sweater, "And those were his throwing knives. I'm pretty sure he never leaves home without them."_

_Guy nodded, eyeing the feline's mechanical leg for a moment before pushing the need to dismantle it aside, "So that's why they were in your wall."_

_The group each let out a squeak or shriek of exclamation as Flynn swerved in the middle of taking a left turn, "In your WALL?!"_

_ Hiccup winced as he coaxed the startled cat to retract his claws, while trying to calm the others, "Yeah, yeah, don't worry, he has pretty good aim, he only hit me once and that was probably my fault for moving. So, how long is it till we reach Merida's?"_

Hiccup tried to phrase it in the least alarming way possible, "Um, really it wasn't much of anything. Just, dadinvitedOswaldandDaguroverandtheyarrivedearlierthanIexpectedandDagurbroughthisthrowingknivessoyeahthat'sitnobigdealright?Right."

"The only word I could understand was Dagur, so slow down and tell us what happened," Jack spoke, eyes narrowed and head cocked to the side.

The freckled teen sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Dagur and his dad came over today, but I thought they wouldn't come till after we left, but, apparently I was wrong. This is just from one of his throwing knives, so, yeah, no biggy."

"It donnae sound like nah biggy tah meh! How'd ye get away from tha' brute?" Merida asked skeptically, the worry still present in her voice.

Hiccup offered a small smile, petting his friend to elicit a light purr, "Like I said, Toothless is quite the efficient Dagur repellant, aren't you Bud?"

The feline meowed in approval, rubbing his head against Hiccup's.

"What is Dagur allergic or something? 'Cause, no offense, but I can't see anything that small lasting five seconds against big, mean, and ugly," Jack smirked, eyebrows quirked in disbelief, gesturing to the small feline.

Toothless hissed, snapping at the older teen's finger, "Whoa, Bud, he didn't mean it. Um, Toothless is very…skilled. He was feral before I found him, so he's use to wild beasts like Dagur."

Jack held his hands close to his chest, while Merida rolled her eyes, "Le's jus' go get some grub. Ahm starved!"

A collective murmur of agreement rushed through the group and they set off down the sidewalk, Rapunzel leading the way. Flynn chuckled at her antics, catching her hand in his and earning a grin from the happy blonde. Guy and Merida walked behind them, falling back into their conversation of how to make the best bow that was paused upon reaching North's Workshop. Hiccup and Jack formed the caboose of their group, Hiccup asking about Jack's work. The whitette answered slowly, tearing his eyes from a pair of acid green. Toothless continued to glare at the older teen as they slowly traveled to Rapunzel's mystery restaurant.

**Thanks for reading! Originally I was going to keep going with the Dagur scene and not jump ahead, but the car ride became too awkward in an unnatural way, so yay for time skips. The Burgess I created is really small, so I didn't think skipping Hiccup's tour would be that great of a loss. Yeah, so next time the mystery restaurant is revealed (though you've probably already guessed it) and the return of Whittler (maybe, depends how long dinner lasts). Again, it'll probably be a while before the next one's out (thank you for being so patient ^^'') and feedback/critiques are welcome. Thank you all again for reading and I'll see you next chapter! =)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi! I'm back waaaaay sooner than I expected, but that's what snow-days are for I guess. So here's chapter 9. I own nothing but the plot and hope you enjoy reading =)**

Rapunzel stood, arms spread out wide, and a large smile plastered on her face as her green eyes sparkled, "Allow me to welcome you to The Snuggly Duckling!"

Flynn stood to her left, trying to keep his laughter from escaping as he took in the expressions of their three new companions. Merida gave Rapunzel a questioning look, wondering what was so special about the wonkily shaped shack submerged in the woods at the edge of Burgess. Jack glanced at Flynn to see if this place was as good as the blonde claimed and seemed satisfied with whatever answer he found. Hiccup had his head cocked to the side, a great many questions racing through his overactive brain. One: did someone really build a structure to curve in the dip of two hills? Two: was that tree growing into the building? Three: why did it seem to be vibrating?

Rapunzel only continued to grin expectantly, biting her bottom lip lightly in her excitement. Once the trio realized this, a quick murmur of questioning approval rose to meet her. The blonde was not put off by their lack of enthusiasm. She twirled around and set a fast pace towards the shady structure, causing the rickety yellow sign to creak in her passing. Flynn and Guy followed her, chuckling to themselves as the sophomores cautiously followed behind. Or, at least Hiccup was cautious. Merida was busy taking in the surroundings and Jack just felt more comfortable hanging back with his two friends. Jack did become nervous when he heard muffled yelling coming from the wooden building.

"Hey, Rapunzel. What kind of joint is this, anyway?" he asked as they grouped outside the door.

She smiled sweetly, grasping the handle and yanking it open, "A bar!"

The place was filled with some of the largest, beefiest men Jack had ever seen, North excluded. They covered the floor and hung from the upper balcony. He could even see a small, elderly man swinging on the chandelier. Bits of tables could be seen through the crowds and Jack wondered how he had never seen any of these people in a town as small as Burgess. The room seemed to still as they noticed the presence of newcomers, even pausing a brawl to turn and glare.

"Hey guys! I brought some new friends with me," Rapunzel almost sang, gesturing to their group.

Another moment of silence passed before the whole shack filled with howls of welcome. The grim and viscous visages of the bar-goers seemed to melt into joviality at the sight of blonde girl and Jack found himself being herded into the crowded establishment. Somehow enough space was cleared where the six got a whole table to themselves. The whitette glanced around in semi-bewilderment. Soon a rounded man with a hook for a hand approached their table.

"What can we get for ye this fine evening?" he asked, lips curling back to reveal browning teeth.

Oh Tooth would have a heart attack if she saw.

"The usual, only times three!" she grinned, holding up three fingers to the man.

He nodded and left the table, shuffling through the crowds which had continued their previous behavior.

Rapunzel bounced in her seat, "So, what do you guys think?"

"Uhhh," Jack spoke intelligently, icy blue eyes wandering back over the hulking men, "It's uh–"

"It's somethin' alrigh'!" Merida announced nodding in approval as tooth flew over their table.

Hiccup stroked his cat, who seemed ready to fall asleep despite the awful racket, "It kinda reminds me of Berk."

A cry rang through the shack, joined and multiplied by almost every customer, "ANOTHER ROUND OF MEAD!"

Merida, Jack, and Guy winced at the noise level, "Yeah, this definitely reminds me of Berk. It's like the Great Hall, right bud?"

The feline meowed sleepily in response, curling tighter around his boy's shoulders.

Rapunzel pushed the end of trailing braid beneath the table before turning back to Hiccup, "What's Berk like?"

The freckled teen shrugged, earning a tail flick to the face, "It's nothing special. Smaller than Burgess, but the people there all giants in comparison. I was really surprised when I came here. Everyone is more…my size, you know?"

"'Ey, Ahm not a wee fishbone like ye, Hic. I take offense tah tha'" Merida joked, lightly nudging her friend's foot.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, a small grin tugging at his mouth, "Thanks, anyway, they're all huge, tough, stubborn, close-minded, and generally stupid. Except maybe Gobber, Fishlegs, and Astrid. All they really think about is sports, hunting, and fishing, and don't get me started on their driving."

Flynn chuckled, leaning against the table, "They can't be that bad."

"No one in that town should own a license. They don't understand the difference between the road and someone's yard, much less their own lane. I live in dread knowing that Snoutlout and the twins have come of age, not that that stopped them before," Hiccup earned a laugh from the group.

"Okay, really, what is with all these crazy names? You can't honestly tell me someone named their kid Snoutlout or Fishlegs, right?" Jack chuckled, quirking an eyebrow at his freckled friend.

"Nope, those are their real names. That's how everyone's named in Berk, old Viking tradition or something. You also get some silly title added to your name, like Dagur the Deranged, or Gobber the Belch," forest green eyes rolled, but a grin was firmly planted on his face.

"No way," Flynn guffawed, "That's hilarious. What are some of the others?"

Hiccup began counting on his fingers, "There's Ruffnut and Tuffnut–the twins–umm, Spitelout, Bucket, Mulch, Silent Sven, Gothi…the list goes on and on."

"I guess Hiccup isn' sah bad then," Merida snorted.

The smile fell from the young brunette, "Heh, no, Hiccup's pretty much the worst as far as Berk goes…"

Jack glanced at him incredulously, "No way, Snoutlout is way worse. And Spitelout? Really, where do you guys come up with this stuff?"

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders once more, eliciting a small growl from Toothless.

"What do you think Guy?" Rapunzel prompted, distracting the teen from staring at Toothless's prosthetic.

He scratched the back of his head and gave a small shrug, "My name's Guy, Rapunzel, I don't think I have any right to judge."

The blonde nodded in understanding as the rounded man from earlier returned to their table, a large round platter balanced on his flesh hand, "Here ya go!"

It was set in the center of the table, allowing all six easy access to the dishes. Six mugs of what was hopefully water were distributed out, leaving six bowls of suspiciously brown soup. Jack watched Rapunzel, Flynn, and Guy each grab a bowl and dig in happily. Assuming the strange substance must not be poisonous, the whitette plucked out his own bowl. He swirled his spoon around the contents and, finding no eyeball or dead rat, Jack decided to take tentative sip. It was…good. A little salty, but hearty and earthy. Jack hummed his approval, going for another spoonful.

"So, 'ow did ye find this place? I've nevahr seen it in all me yahrs o' livin' 'ere," Merida questioned, dragging the sleeve of her shirt across her mouth.

"This was where Flynn took me on our first date," the blonde giggled, causing the eldest brunette to pink.

"Hold on a second, that was not our first date–" he began, waving his arms to dismiss the looks of incredulity of the three younger teens.

Rapunzel interrupted, nudging him in the side, "Nah-ah-ah. If I remember correctly, you gushed on and on about how much I would love it here and as soon as we entered the door, you asked for their finest table."

Merida and Jack were already holding back laughter, egged on by Flynn's wild gestures and incoherent noises of denial.

He crossed his arms, pouting when the two burst into a fit of cackles and snickering, "I did not bring you here on a date. I was trying to get rid of you and shake those Stabbington Brothers off my trail."

This earned three quirked eyebrows as Rapunzel gave his arm a light slap, "Aww, you do care. Too bad your brilliant plan didn't work. They came in not long after we did."

Flynn groaned, slumping against the table, "Don't remind me."

The group laughed at his expense before the man shot up and turned towards the crowd with large brown eyes, "Hey Attila!"

A lumbering man with a pan full of cupcakes approached them, "Yeah?"

"The Stabbington Brothers aren't here tonight, are they?" he asked, fingers tapping in rapid succession against the table.

"Nah, they aren't even town right know," the man shrugged, beefy arms rippling with muscle.

Flynn released a sigh of relief, "Phew, thanks Attila."

"Uh, who're the Stabbington Brothers?" Hiccup asked, swirling his spoon in his soup absentmindedly.

Rapunzel frowned and Flynn grimaced, leaving Guy to answer, "Just a couple of thugs Flynn use to hang around. That is, until he double-crossed them. Now he's towards the top of their hit list."

"Wow, Flynn, didn't know you had such a dark past," Jack chuckled, evoking a half-hearted glare from the older male.

"I was young, stupid, and had no future. It seemed profitable at the time," he spoke nonchalantly, earning a glare from Rapunzel.

"Everyone here hated him, though, it was pretty funny," Guy grinned at his friend.

Merida snorted, "I canno' imagine why."

"Well, they seem pretty found of you now. How'd you change their mind?" Jack prodded, taking a swig from his mug and almost choking.

That was definitely not water.

"I call it the magic of Rapunzel. No one can resist her charm. It's almost frightening when you think about it," Flynn half-joked, his signature smirk back on his face.

"Reallay?" Merida questioned, looking at the elder girl with something akin to respect.

"Really, really." Flynn repeated as he leaned back in his chair.

Guy nodded, backing up the elder's statement, "I don't know how it's scientifically possible, but Rapunzel is unhateable."

Jack grinned "I can see it."

Conversation died down as the six finished their meal. Rapunzel insisted on paying for everyone and only managed to convince them once she mentioned that they give her a special discount. The sky was darkening as the six finally made it out of The Snuggly Duckling.

"So, anywhere you guys wanna go before we head back?" Rapunzel asked as she walked backwards to face the group.

"Uh, can we go to that antique shop we passed earlier?" Hiccup asked, earning a couple questioning stares, "I, uh, I like old things?"

"Sure!" Rapunzel cut in before any teasing could begin.

Hiccup smiled shyly, wringing his hands as the group complied. It took a while, but eventually the six made it to Same As It Never Was Antiques. Hiccup shivered as he entered the small shop, glad to escape the dark and chilling streets. He broke away from the group, weaving through the surprising crowd to try and find the owner. Hopefully, they would accept woodcarvings…

Jack watched as his freckled friend danced through the empty aisles, slowly meandering to the front counter. He shrugged and followed Flynn, thinking the elder male might come up with something entertaining to do while Hiccup shopped.

Hiccup managed to navigate through the crowds without bumping into anyone, though Toothless seemed to be growing agitated, and rang the small silver bell resting on the counter. A few seconds later a tall, lanky woman approached the desk. Her face was long, framed by two red braids. Dull, olive eyes seemed to stare through Hiccup.

The teen shifted nervously, hands beginning to gesture sporadically, "Uh, hi, I was just, uh wondering if you might happen to accept woodcarvings. To sell. I mean if I had some really old, carvings that I don't really want anymore, could I just, I don't know, bring them here and, uh, give them to you?"

A moment passed before the female shrugged her shoulders listlessly, her voice a dull monotone, "Sure."

"Great. Uh, yeah, great. Thanks. I'll just grab them and come by, let's say, tomorrow?" he asked, twirling his hands around before opening them wide as if presenting a prize.

The same pause stretched before she gave another, "Sure."

"Okay, it's settled then. I'll just come here. Tomorrow. With some woodcarvings. Yeah," Hiccup turned to leave before remembering something, "Oh, sorry, I didn't get your name? Should I give them to you or–"

"Berserk," she said, popping the 'k'.

Hiccup ceased his ramblings, head snapping up to meet those dull, green orbs, "Come again."

"Last name's Berserk. Bye," she said before turning and slumping away.

Crap.

The freckled teen spun around and hurried back to his friends.

Flynn eyed him skeptically, noticing he was out of breath, "Whoa, what's the matter kid. You look like you've seen a ghost."

Hiccup managed a pained chuckle, "No, just a blast from the past. I'm ready to go when you guys are."

He didn't need to tell them twice. The group was out of the shop and heading towards Flynn's car, the light of the streetlamps guiding their passage. Jack fell into step beside the freckled teen.

"So, what was that back there? Why the sudden change of heart?"

Hiccup sent a weary glance over his shoulder, "Uh, I just wasn't expecting to recognize the owner."

"Okay?" Jack questioned, but let the subject drop when the small brunette didn't respond.

The whitette glanced upwards, but frowned when he found the stars and moon were blocked by cloud cover. He had been looking forward to stargaze with the Sonny tonight. Oh well, they would just have to wait for the next weekend. Icy blue orbs trailed back to the small brunette whose eyes were trained on the sidewalk, chewing his bottom lip in thought. The black feline had long since fell into slumber, but Jack would swear he could still feel those acidic orbs glaring at him. The whitette took his chances and nudged the freckled teen.

He was rewarded with a pair of large, forest green eyes, filled with mixture of worry and surprise, "So, did you have fun Freckles?"

A crooked smile brightened the younger boy's face, "Yeah, yeah I did."

**Thanks for reading! Okay prepare for a long author's note filled with equal parts rambling and explanation. So first off, sorry no Whittler, but it was getting pretty long, but she'll for sure be back next chapter. Now to clear up some possible confusion. Burgess is filled with ghosts, which I hinted at in maybe the first or second chapter when Jack watches Hiccup go off on his bike swerving along an empty sidewalk which Hiccup sees as crowded. Hiccup doesn't notice, because he's never seen so many ghosts congregate in one area so he assumes it's chilly outside. Berk is smaller than Burgess so it didn't have nearly as many ghosties. The reason they are chilling in the antique store (show reference) is because they cling to the things they invested their energy into during life, so if they don't know why they're still here, they cling to what's familiar. Yeah, Jack just thinks Hiccup's being a cute little dork. Okay, now I'll give away who the shop owner is, because it's not really important and her identity may remained unmentioned in the story. She's my headcannon for Dagur's sister. Although she should probably be younger than Dagur, because he took over as chief, I just really wanted her to own the antique shop, since Dagur said she owned an ornate shield. She, like her brother, isn't quite right in the head, but whereas he's crazy and uncontrollable, she's totally apathetic. Hiccup hasn't seen her in years, so he didn't recognize her until she gave her last name. **

**Alright now to answer Kitty.0 's questions: Yes, Pitch will be a not-so-friendly ghost, but the main characters won't notice him for a while yet. That doesn't mean he hasn't noticed them, though. and with Jack and the animals not liking him thing, it was mainly a headcannon, but I have legitimate reasoning for it in this story and it's not because of his parents. Most animals don't care about ghosts, unless the ghost is violent or carries/feeds off of mainly negative energy. Toothless is an exception where he just doesn't like ghosts in general, because they 'bother' (steal the attention of) his human and they can lead Hiccup into some dangerous situations (a big no-no in Toothless's book). So, it's not Jack's parents, but something involving Jack makes most animals uneasy around him and that's all I'll tell for now.**

**I have a quick question for all you readers. Do you want a few lighthearted ghost encounters before things pick up, or do you want me to go ahead and begin the major encounters once Whittler's through?**

**Alright, that's all for now I think, if anyone has any comments/critiques/questions, just leave a review (or PM me, but I don't really know how that works yet) and I'll try to answer them without giving spoilers. Thanks again for reading!**


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